Day of the Dead
by AshleyTrecartin
Summary: Follows Been to Hell. John Winchester is back from the dead. Dean is ready to follow his father's orders, but the others aren't so sure. They want to find out just how John came back from the dead and why. The more Dean allows his father to take control, the more Sam, Elena, and Dalia slip away from him.
1. Comin' Back Down

_**You guys responded well, so here's the third installment. Please remember to leave reviews. Those help me get the chapters out more than anything. i love reading where you're at and knowing how you feel about what's happened so far and what your theories are. It gets me excited to get the next chapter out for you guys.**_

* * *

 _ **Day of the Dead**_

 _ **Chapter One: Comin' Back Down**_

 _ **THEN**_

" _Sam, I promise to love you for the rest of my life, come apocalypse or soullessness, demons or wraiths. I promise to always have your back with a sharp blade and a loaded gun. You're my best friend, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."_

" _Elena, I promise to love you and only you for the rest of my life. Hunter's aren't supposed to get happiness, they're not supposed to get this. But I've been rewriting the rule book for years. You're my happiness, and I don't plan on letting you go ever. I love you."_

" _By the power entrusted in me by my Father, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss—"_

 _Cas was cut off by the creaking of the doors of the church. Everyone pulled a gun from where it was hiding and aimed it. No one else was supposed to be here. The man walked forward, out of the sunlight. Sam and Dean took a step back, nearly falling over. They couldn't believe what they were looking at. It was impossible. It couldn't be. Dean took one small step forward, swallowing hard._

" _Dad…"_

 _ **NOW**_

"Dad…" Dean didn't want to believe what he was looking at. His father was dead, he'd salted and burned the bones himself, years ago. So what the hell was he doing standing in this church?

"Hey Dean." John walked down the aisle. Before he made it halfway Dean was to the first row of pews and opening the bag he'd stashed there.

"You brought hunting tools to my wedding?" Elena hissed.

"I'm always prepared." He pulled out a flash of holy water and tossed it to Sam. He grabbed a silver knife and salt. Sam kept his gun on John while he splashed him with the water. When he didn't cry out from a burn Dean threw the salt. Again, nothing happened. "Hold out your arm," Dean ordered. John rolled his eyes but pushed his sleeve up, exposing his arm to Dean. Dean took the silver blade to his father's skin.

"Are you done?" John asked, pulling a bandana out of his pocket and wrapping it around the cut. He looked up at Sam and Dean and smiled. "It's good to see you." He pulled Dean in for a hug and then moved to Sam.

"Dad…what are you doing here?" Sam asked. "How?"

John shook his head. "I don't know. One minute I'm sitting down to a family dinner with Mary and you boys in heaven, the next thing I know I'm outside of this church." He glanced over at Castiel, Dalia, and Elena. "You want to tell me what's going on here?" he asked.

Sam reached out his hand for Elena and brought her forward. "Dad, this is Elena Richards—well, Winchester now. We just got married."

Elena held out her hand. "It's an honor to meet you." She smiled as John shook her head.

"And this is Dalia." Dean put his arm around her when she stood next to him. "We're not married, but she's pretty damn special."

Dalia shook John's hand as well, leaning into Dean. "So you both found girls huh?" He crossed his arms. "Are you still hunting?"

"Of course we are, Elena and Dalia are hunters." Dean couldn't believe his old man would actually ask him that. Like they would ever really give up the life. They'd tried that before. They always got sucked back in. "Dad, this is Castiel…he's an angel."

John nodded his head. "We've met before." He sighed and looked at Cas. "Do you know how I got back here?"

Castiel shook his head. "No, but I intend to find out." Cas put his hand on Dean's shoulder. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He disappeared.

Dean looked between Sam and John. "Should we go home?" He grinned, looking at his old man for the first time in years. "You'll love the place." He pulled the Impala keys out of his pocket and tossed them to John. "I'll even let you drive."

They piled into the car, Sam, Elena, and Dalia in the backseat, John and Dean in the front. "So, tell me what you've been up to." John said as he drove in the direction Dean directed him.

Dean looked back at Sam. "Well…we just got Dalia's soul back from hell… Before that she died sealing the Titans back in Tartarus and came back as a demigod."

John rose an eyebrow and looked over at his son. "I'm sorry, a what?"

"A demigod," Dalia said from the backseat. "Aphrodite brought me back to life after I died and gave me the power to tell if people are soulmates." She shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't remember anything when I came back either. Ended up making a deal with the King of Hell."

"What about you, Elena?" John asked. Dean watched him, not sure what was wrong, but something was off.

Elena shrugged looking up at Sam. "Well…I was pregnant the first time we tried to get Dalia's soul back…I ended up getting hurt and losing the baby." She frowned a little. It was still a fresh wound. It still hurt to talk about it. Sam kissed her head and rubbed her back.

Dean directed John into the bunker's garage and climbed out. "What is this place?"

"It must have been, hell, I don't know six years ago, maybe?" Dean looked at Sam for confirmation but Sam just shrugged his shoulders. Things tended to blur after a while. "Grandpa, your dad, came forward in time. He ended up bringing this demon named Abadon with him. She was a knight of hell. That's why you never saw him again," Dean explained as he led his father inside. "He didn't just leave you, he came here. We met him. He died trying to stop Abadon." He unlocked the door to the bunker and started down the stairs. "He was a Man of Letters. They're kind of like hunters without all of the hunting. This," he said, turning on the lights, "was theirs."

John looked around at all of the artifacts and books filling the library. He was slightly impressed. "We got the key from another Man of Letters and moved in," Sam told him as they walked down the stairs.

"You boys have been busy." John looked around and settled on the boys. "Very busy."

"You have no idea." Dean smiled and headed towards the kitchen. "I'll get some beers."

"Dean, Elena and I can get them. You just stay here." Dalia kissed his cheek and pulled Elena with her into the kitchen.

John watched them go, waited until they were out of earshot before he pegged his boys with a hard look. "What the hell do you two think you're doing?"

"What?" Sam started.

"You've got a girlfriend?" he demanded, looking at Dean. "And hell, Sam you're married? Didn't I teach you two anything? Those girls sound like they've been nothing but distractions and trouble from the minute you've met them." He crossed his arms, shaking his head as he leaned back against the table. "You two should know better after the way I raised you. The people you love only die."

"Dad, they're good hunters," Sam said crossing his arms. _Here we go_ , he thought. John hadn't been back more than two hours and they were already at each other's throats. He could tell Dean was picking up on it to from the way he tensed beside him. "Elena helped us take out a dragon, and Dalia…she's been to hell just as much as we have." He shook his head. "They were hunting before we even came along."

John glared at Sam. "It doesn't matter. You should have finished the case you worked with them and hit the road. We don't make roots, we don't make families."

Elena and Dalia had entered the room and heard John. Elena crossed her arms, walking to stand beside Sam. She'd heard stories about John. Sam tried to play it off, but she knew how much of a jerk John could be, especially to his kids. "You may be Sam's father, and my father-in-law," she said. "But I'm not going to put up with your bullshit. Just because you're too bitter to have a relationship, doesn't mean Sam and Dean shouldn't."

Dalia leaned on the table, taking a drink from her beer. She was watching Dean, studying him. He was standing ramrod straight. She'd heard the same stories Elena had. She knew how Dean acted around his father. He was the good little solider who followed orders. She didn't know what was going to happen with John here, but she was worried about Dean.

John looked at Sam. "I can see you picked one with a mouth to match yours."

Sam glared, taking a step forward, his fist balled, ready to strike. Dean stepped between them, glaring at them both. "Seriously?" he demanded. "You just got back and you're already going to lay into Sam?" He turned and looked at his brother. "And you, I remember, when Dad died you felt so guilty. Can you wait a day before this shit starts?"

Sam backed down, stepping back. He wrapped his arm around Elena and led her back to their room without another word to John. Dalia handed Dean a beer when he walked over to her. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He knew she probably wasn't happy with John after that comment. At least she was holding it in. She wasn't causing issues.

She shrugged her shoulders and handed a beer to John. "So, John, any plans now that you're back from the dead?" she asked. She wanted to try to keep the peace for Dean. She was furious for John, but she was going to try for Dean. She'd caused him enough problems lately.

He shrugged, taking a swig of beer and sitting down at the table. "I'll probably just move in here with the boys."

Dalia nodded. "We've got plenty of room."

"We?" he asked.

"Dalia and Elena live with us, Dad." Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Why don't I show you what room you can have?" John nodded and got up, following Dean down the hall. Dalia watched them go and sighed. Things were about to get a lot more complicated.

xXx

Later, after John had gone to bed, the others were sitting in the library. Sam and Elena were looking for any strange phenomenon that had happened recently, especially around the area where John's bones had been. Dean was nursing a beer, sitting beside Dalia who kept running her fingers through her hair. "Dean." They looked over at Castiel.

"Any news?" Sam asked.

Castiel sighed. "Yes, but you might not like it." He walked over and sat at the table across from Dean. "No one in heaven knows how John was brought back to life. It shouldn't have happened. Whoever was in charge when it happened either did it, or they left their post." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We're not sure what went wrong."

Sam took a drink of his beer and looked back at the computer sitting in front of him. "Well, we've been looking pretty much since we got back. We can't find anything either."

Dean looked over at Sam. "What do you mean you've been looking?"

"Dean, don't you want to know how this happened? I mean, this is weird, even for us."

"No, I don't want to know. Dad is back. Can't we just leave it at that?" He started pacing the length of the table. "I mean c'mon man, he's back from the dead. You're just pissed because he told you the truth and you didn't want to hear it."

"And what truth is that, Dean?" Elena asked. "That me and Dalia shouldn't be here right now? That Sam and I shouldn't be married?" She crossed her arms, leaning back in the chair.

"Yes."

"Excuse me?" Dalia asked, leaning forward.

He looked at her, struggling. "That's not what I mean. I'm glad you're both here." He scrubbed his hands over his face. "I'm just saying that he has a point. Everyone close to us dies. Hell, Dalia you died and Elena lost a baby."

Dalia got up and finished her beer. "I'm sleeping in my old room tonight." She walked down the hall. Dean flinched when he heard her door slam shut.

He sighed and sat back down, rubbing his eyes. This was supposed to be a happy day. Sam and Elena got married, their dad was back from the dead. So why did he feel so shitty? He glanced at his phone when it beeped. He sighed and opened it. "Dad found a hunt," he said with a small smile. "He wants us to be ready to go at oh-six-hundred."

Sam rolled his eyes and closed his laptop, standing up. "Good to know nothing's changed." He took Elena's hand and went back to their room.

Dean looked at Castiel. "You got something to say too?" he asked.

Cas sighed and looked at him. "Just…be careful, Dean. We don't know what we're dealing with yet."

"Yeah." Dean finished his beer and walked down the hall towards the bedrooms. He knew Dalia was mad at him and he didn't want to let her go to bed that way. It only meant she'd be worse in the morning. He went to her old room and walked inside. She was already in bed, her back to him. He quietly kicked off his boots and climbed in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He buried his head in her hair and breathed in deep. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He didn't say it often, but he meant it when he did. "That came out wrong."

She sighed and turned to look at him. "That's not the point, Dean." She looked up at him, her crystalline blue eyes filled with worry. "You and Sam have told us how many stories about your dad? He and Sam are always arguing, he doesn't explain himself to you, he just expects you to straighten up like a good little solider and follow orders."

"What's wrong with that?"

She cupped his face and kissed him lightly. "You're not a soldier, Dean. You're his son. He should treat you like one."

"He doesn't know any other way."

"If he wants to keep Sam in his life, and you want to keep me in yours, he should learn." She laid her head against his chest. He sighed and held her. She was right and he knew it, but he didn't know how to stand up to his father. On the rare occasions that it happens it's just because he can't take it anymore. He kissed her head. The hunt in the morning was going to be an interesting one. That was for sure.


	2. Believe

Day of the Dead

Chapter Two: Believe

Dean wrapped his arm a little tighter around Dalia when he woke up the next morning. He still felt bad for what he'd said about his dad being right. John was right, everyone that ever got involved with a Winchester ended up dead or hurt. She and Elena were living proof of that. He smiled and nuzzled her neck when she laced her fingers with his. "We have to go hunting today," she muttered.

He hummed in agreement and kissed her shoulder. "Think you and Dad can manage to get along?"

"Hey, I'm easy, but I'm not going to put up with his holier-than-thou attitude. We're not soldiers baby. We're hunters."

He really couldn't argue with her. He sighed and rolled onto his back staring up at the ceiling. He knew Sam and Elena were worried. John had been dead for years, and then all of a sudden, on Sam's wedding day he's back? It didn't make sense to Dean either but they dealt with the weird on a daily basis. As far as he was concerned they were given a gift and he wasn't about to look for a horse. He got up and went to the dresser, pulling out clean jeans. "Hey." He reached for his shirt that Dalia stole.

"Nope, I'm wearing this one today." It was one of his red flannels. She winked and pulled it on over her bra, tying a knot in the back to it didn't hang too much. She pulled on her jeans and boots, watching Dean look for a different shirt. "Wear the blue one," she said.

"Why?" He pulled it out and slipped it over his shoulders.

"Because the blue brings out your eyes." She smiled and got up. "And I love those eyes." She kissed his cheek and grabbed her bag, stuffing clothes in it.

He smirked and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her ass against him. "Yeah? Well I love this ass." He grabbed a handful in his hand and smirked.

She moaned lightly and continued packing. "Too bad your daddy is in the house." She pushed her hips back and zipped her bag. "And we've got work to do."

Dean rolled his eyes and gave her a playful smack before packing up his bag. In ten minutes they were walking out of the room and down the hall to the library. They were halfway there when they heard Sam and John already going at it at six in the morning. "Like hell she's staying here," Sam said, dropping his bag on the table. "She's a good hunter. She's going with."

"It's not a good idea, Sam. You get too many people on a hunt and you blow the cover. Whatever it is runs and we're stuck grasping at straws while more people die." John had his arms crossed and he was giving Sam that military look Dean had come to fear as a kid.

"I really don't give a shit." Sam looked over at Dean and Dalia. "Back me up here."

Dalia shrugged her shoulders. "He has a point, Sam." She held her hand up so Sam wouldn't interrupt her. "But if John thinks that Dean is going on a hunt without me, he's got another things coming. I don't expect you to leave your wife at home either." She pegged John with a look. "This ain't the 1970s anymore John, women hunt."

Dean smirked a bit. He found it a major turn on when Dalia stood up to his dad like that. He put his arm around her and looked at John. "She's right Dad, if we're going, they're going."

John threw his arms in the air and rolled his eyes. "Fine, but if this gets us killed or we lose the damn thing, it's on you two." He glared at the girls before grabbing his bag and walking up to the garage.

"This is going to be so much fun," Elena muttered, grabbing her own bag.

Since John knew where they were going, Dean let him drive and sat in the front beside him. Dalia opted for the backseat, Sam between her and Elena. "You want to share with the class, John?" Dalia asked after half an hour had passed. They still had no idea why they were going on the hunt, just that John had found one.

He sighed and leaned back in the seat a little. "There's a small town, not too far from here, about a day's drive. Six people have been killed so far. Not many witnesses, but the ones there are have been claiming fairy tale creatures are behind it."

Dean glanced back at Sam. They'd dealt with something like this before. "What kind of fairy tale creatures?"

"One woman claims that a giant ate her husband. Another says that an evil witch poisoned her daughter with an apple." He looked at Dean. "There are a few others."

"Any connection between the victims?" Sam asked.

"None that I can see right now. They were all liked, that's about it."

The car fell into silence again as everyone mulled the case over. It didn't sound exactly the same as the case Sam and Dean had worked, but it was similar, that was for damn sure. Dalia watched from the back as Sam and Elena asked a few more questions. She noticed the way that John only seemed to address Dean, even if Dean hadn't asked the question. No wonder Sam and he fought so much. She shook her head. This was going to be a long, painful hunt.

xXx

By the time they pulled up to the motel it was too late to really do anything. They all climbed out of the Impala, stretching their cramped limbs from the long drive. John looked across the hood of the car at Dean. "Why don't you grab the bags, I'll get the rooms."

"Rooms?" Elena asked. "Since when do we need more than one?"

"Since there are five of us. We'll run research out of our room, you and Dalia will just sleep somewhere else."

Elena's jaw unhinged. He couldn't be serious. He really expected her and Dalia to sleep in a different room? She was about to go off on him again, but she was too damn tired to argue. "Whatever." She grabbed her bag out of the trunk when Dean unlocked it. She might be his daughter-in-law, but if he kept this shit up, she was going to punch him.

"Are you really okay with this?" Sam asked.

She shook her head. "No, Sam, I'm not. But I'm not going to argue with him tonight." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Just, do what he says for now, we'll deal with it in the morning."

He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm still sleeping with you," he whispered into her hair. She had to admit, that made her feel a little better. They followed John to the rooms. He handed a key to Elena and unlocked his own room.

"Let's get some sleep. We'll meet at six." He walked inside.

Dalia huffed and looked at Dean as Sam and Elena walked into the room. "Where are you bunking?" she asked. He was torn. He didn't want to upset Dalia again. But on the other hand, he didn't want to piss off his dad. He looked between her and the room. "Never mind." She walked into the other room and slammed the door shut.

"Damn it." Dean sighed and walked into the room he'd be sharing with his dad, alone, and closed the door. It was going to be a long hunt.

xXx

The next morning Dalia walked into the room and Dean didn't miss the way she ignored him and sat in a chair at the table, kicking her feet up on the table. She crossed her arms and tipped her head back, closing her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept at all. He felt like shit. He walked over and kissed her cheek. "Morning baby." She hummed and didn't open her eyes.

He sighed and sat in a chair as Sam and Elena walked in. John came from the bathroom and got right to work. "Okay, Dean, I want you and Sam to take the morgue, go look at the bodies. Girls, can you handle talking to some witnesses?"

"I'll try really hard to mind my p's and q's," Dalia muttered without opening her eyes. Dean rubbed his eyes. This wasn't going well. "What is our fearless leader going to do?"

John glared at her. "I'll talk to the cops." He got up and grabbed his coat. "Get a move on. I want reports every two hours."

Dalia rolled her eyes as she got up. She grabbed her bag and walked out of the room with Elena right behind her. Sam looked at Dean. "Don't start." Dean grabbed his jacket and walked out to the Impala climbing in. He'd planned on offering the girls a ride but they were already out of the parking lot. He climbed in and drove off once Sam was buckled in next to him. "How mad is she?" he blurted out.

Sam sighed and glanced at him. "She's not happy, and honestly, I don't blame her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dean, even you have to admit that Dad's been an even bigger dick than usual since he got back."

Dean rubbed his eyes as he pulled up to the morgue. "No, I don't have to admit that." He climbed out and slammed the door. He didn't want to get into this. He never should have asked the damn question to start with.

The medical examiner was a bust. As far as Dean could tell the girl had been poisoned, another looked like he'd been gnawed on by a wolf. They looked like normal killings, but they fit the fairy tale stories. He rubbed his eyes as he and Sam walked back to the car. "This is weird," he said looking over at Sam. He did a double take and stopped dead in his tracks. "Son of a bitch…" In the middle of the road was a big, black, wolf. It bared its teeth, growling at Sam and Dean. "Is that…?" he asked.

"The big bad wolf? Yeah I think so." Dean pulled his gun and aimed it. Before he could take a shot a large ax was buried into the wolf's neck. They looked over. John was standing there. He looked different, but Dean couldn't place it. Not at first. John walked over and pulled out the ax. He was wearing different clothes than he had been earlier. "What's going on?"

"It was the wolf." John walked over, holding the ax. "What happened to your clothes?" he asked.

Sam and Dean looked at themselves. Dean was wearing more leather than he had been earlier, and a deep red vest. Sam's suit had changed colors and was a little tighter, fitted better. "What the hell is going on?" Dean asked.

John swore. "I was afraid of this." He looked at his boys. "We're becoming the stories."

"No, seriously, what the hell is going on?"

"Get in the car, we need to find the girls."

They climbed in and Dean called Dalia. "Please tell me you're normal," she hissed into the phone.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You mean other than the fact that my hair is about a foot longer and Elena's humming and twirling around in a dress? Nothing, we're peachy."

"Damn it." Dean rubbed his eyes. "We're turning into fairy tale characters," he told her. "I'm thinking Dad is the huntsman who kills the big bad wolf." He glanced at Sam. "No clue who me and Sam are supposed to be yet."

"I've got an idea on Sam. I'm pretty freaking sure Elena's turning into Cinderella."

"What makes you say that?"

"She's asking the damn mice where our killer is."

"Where are you?"

"The square in the middle of tow—son of a bitch!"

"Dalia? Dalia!" He could hear scuffling on the other end.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. "I tripped on my damn hair."

"We're on our way."

xXx

Dean could see Dalia sitting on the ledge of the fountain, letting Elena braid her hair that had grown outrageously long. "I'm guessing Rapunzel?" Dean asked, crossing his arms.

She shot him a dirty look. "The second I end up in a dress I'm shooting someone." She winced when Elena pulled a little roughly on her hair. "Son of a bitch." She looked Dean over, noticing the leather. "Who are you supposed to be exactly?" she asked.

"Captain hook." Sam smirked and showed her the hand Dean had been trying to hide. It was gone, in its place was a shiny silver hook.

"Yeah, well Sammy here is Prince freaking Charming." He pulled his hand away and looked at Elena. "You done singing princess?"

She glared at Dean. "After Dalia all but slapped me stupid? Yeah." She finished braiding Dalia's hair. "There. Stop bitching."

"You know what, you have hair that drags two feet behind you on the ground, then we'll talk." She pulled the braid over her shoulder and stood up. It's still touched her knees. "I'm getting a headache."

"What the hell is going on?" Elena demanded. "Why are we turning into fairy tale characters?"

"Dad thinks it's the spell. Whoever is controlling it obviously doesn't want us to find them." Dean sat down awkwardly putting his hook hand on his leg. He still didn't know how to move with the damn thing. They needed to reverse this because he was so not looking forward to eating.

"Do we have any leads?" Dalia asked.

"Just one." Sam pulled out a paper and handed it to her. The cover story was about a kid who looked like he was captain of the mathletes had saved the head cheerleader from a dragon.

"Seriously?" She looked up at Sam. "This is our lead? Geek boy saves the girl?"

"It makes sense. He could be working the spell to get the girl, better his life. It wouldn't be the first time."

She rubbed her temples. "Do we know where to find our knight in shining armor?"

"Yeah, we do." John pulled out his gun. "He's giving a speech at the mayor's office."

xXx

By the time they actually made it to the mayor's office, they'd completely changed. Dean was dressed in full pirate attire from the long leather coat to the boots on his feet. Sam was dressed like a prince, regal suit and shiny black shoes and a sword at his waist. John hadn't changed too much, just more leather and less plaid. Elena was wearing a full ball gown, complete with glass slippers. Dalia was grinding her teeth. She'd ended up in a pink dress. And if walking was hard in the dress, the heels made it twice as difficult. Her hair had grown another foot, the braid trailing behind her on the ground. She was gripping her gun. "I'm going to shoot someone," she growled.

Dean smirked and looked her over. "I don't know, I kind of like this look."

"Say that again and I'll shoot you." They walked into the mayor's office and looked around. The kid they were after was pacing in front of the mayor's office, muttering his speech to himself. "Hey," she snapped.

His head shot up and he looked over. "Who are you?"

"We're the people who are going to stop you." Dean pointed his gun at him. "Stop the spell."

The kid laughed and shook his head. "You really think that's going to work on me?" he asked. He pulled an old leather book from his bag and flipped it open. He started to read. "Captain Hook, keeping to true pirate fashion, turned on his comrades." Dean's body moved without his consent, aiming the gun straight at Dalia's chest.

"What the hell?" He tried to move but his body wouldn't listen.

"It's the book," John stated. He took a step forward.

"The huntsman, with his noble heart, stepped in to fight the pirate to the death." John turned and punched Dean. The gun scattered across the floor. The others watched while Dean and John exchanged punches and kicks. Dalia winced when John threw Dean into the wall, cracking the plaster. "You can't beat me."

She turned her eyes on the kid. "We'll see about that." She pulled her gun and aimed for his hand. He dropped the book. Sam pounced on it while Dalia kept her gun trained on the witch.

"You can't do that! Guns are against the rules!"

"This isn't a game," she snapped. "People are dying."

"Only the assholes. Only the people who think they're better than me just because they're attractive." He crossed his arms and glared at them. "Why can't you just leave me alone?" He pulled a sword out of his bag and swung it at Sam.

Sam pulled his own sword, blocking the witch and tossed the book to Elena. She caught it, stumbling on her heels. Dalia glanced at John and Dean. They were both sporting black eyes and cuts on their faces. She pulled her lighter out of her bag. She and Elena went to the nearest fireplace and tossed the book inside. "I hope this works." Dalia knelt in front of the fireplace and set the book on fire. She heard the kid scream as the pages went up in smoke.

Her hair shrank and the dress disappeared. Elena's clothes went back to normal. The swords turned into sticks, and Dean's hand came back. "Oh thank god." They turned and looked at the kid. "What should we do with him?"

John pointed his gun at him. "We do what we do with all monsters."

"You can't kill him." Elena stepped in front of the kid. He was curled into the fetal position on the floor, crying at the loss of his book. "The book is gone, he can't hurt people anymore. I'm not going to let you kill a kid."

John glared at her. "Elena. Move."

"Make me." She crossed her arms.

"Dad, she's right," Sam said. "He can't hurt anyone again."

John swore and turned on his heels, walking out of the building. Sam sighed and ran a hand through his hair. They quietly followed him out and got back into the car. The silence back to the motel was painful.

Dalia, Elena, and Sam went to the room they'd stayed in to pack up. "Sam, I know he's your dad…but we need to do something about him," Dalia said quietly. She really didn't want to piss either of the boys off. But something about John wasn't right. It was like he had no soul, but Castiel had assured him that it was intact.

"I know…" He zipped up his bag and sat on the bed, wrapping his arms around Elena when she came to stand in front of him. "We'll look some more when we get back to the bunker. If there's anything on this anywhere, the Men of Letters had it."

"And then what?" They looked over at Dean. He was standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. "No, seriously, what then?" he asked again. "Are you going to kill him?"

"Dean."

"No, Sam." He shook his head. "Damn it, look, yes he's a little high strung, he's been dead for years. What do you expect? Can't we just call it a day?"

"Dean, something's not right. You're just too blinded by your love for him to see it."

He glared at Dalia. "You know, I expected this from Sam and Elena, but not you. After everything I've done for you, everything we've been through, I honestly thought you would have my back on this."

She glared at him. That was a low fucking blow and from the way he wouldn't meet her eyes he knew it too. "Fuck you, Winchester." She grabbed her bag and walked out, throwing it into the trunk and climbing into the back seat. John laid on the horn when the others didn't follow.

Sam sighed and got up, grabbing his and Elena's bags. They walked out to the car. Dean climbed into the front with John and Sam let Elena sit by Dalia for the ride back to the bunker. Dalia was right. Something needed to be done about John. If Dean couldn't see it that was his problem. They just had to make it through the next eight hours.


	3. Usual Suspects

**Day of the Dead**

 **Chapter Three: Usual Suspects**

Dalia dropped another stack of books on the table and glared at the stack they'd already been through. Research was getting them nowhere. Sam looked up, startled at the sound of the books hitting wood. "Dalia, you've got to calm down." He sat back, pushing the book he'd been looking through away from him.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Sam." She sat down and picked up the first book. After the hunt for the witch had gone so well with John, he and Dean had picked up a case, alone. Dalia had woken up yesterday, alone in bed, to a text message from Dean saying that they'd be back in a few days. She didn't like the fact that Dean was alone with John. It was hard telling what kind of crap John was telling him.

So here she was, drinking herself into an early grave, and reading books, Man of Letters files, and scrounging the corners of the Internet not even the crackpots inhabited. She hadn't slept, wouldn't eat. Not until they found out how John Winchester came back from the dead and why he was there. People didn't just come back from the dead, not without some repercussions.

Sam sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Maybe we should try a different approach," he said looking between her and Elena.

"What kind of approach?" Elena asked. She was getting to Dalia's level of frustration.

"We know the angels didn't bring Dad back. So we ask Crowley." Dalia growled and decided to forgo the glass this time. She drank straight from the bottle. "I know you don't like the idea," he said. "I don't either, but right now he's our best lead."

Elena rubbed her temples. "We could summon him to the dungeon, lock him up." She sighed and looked at Dalia. "It's the best lead we've got right now."

Dalia emptied the bottle into her stomach and pulled her gun out from the small of her back, laying it on the table in front of Sam. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "If I have that on me, I'll empty the clip on principle." She got and walked to the lab to get the ingredients they were going to need to summon Crowley.

Once she had all the herbs in the bowl she met Sam and Elena in the dungeon. She knelt and lit the candles and took the knife from Sam. She drew a small line down her arm letting her blood drip into the bowl. She passed the knife back and took the matches from Elena. "Et ad congregandom, Eos coram me," she said, lighting the match and dropping it into the bowl. She flinched back when the bowl of ingredients sparked up and stood slowly.

"The Scooby gang. What can I do for you?" Crowley asked, appearing in the middle of the devil's trap on the floor. He looked around, realizing where he was. "Are we really going to go through this again?" he asked. He looked pissed which suited Dalia just fine.

She and Sam muscled him into the chair and locked the chains on him. "You're going to give us some information," Sam told him, standing in front of the table. Dalia made herself comfortable against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do you know about my Dad?" he asked.

Crowley folded his hands on the table, quirking his head to the side as he looked at Sam. "John Winchester, man after my own heart." He smirked a little. "Hell bent on revenge, not much of a family man."

"Not what we meant," Dalia growled. "How did he come back to life after all of these years?"

Crowley turned his head and looked at her. "John's back from the dead?" He laughed and shook his head. "You would think after all this time you would know that the angels just like to screw you over."

"That's just it though, the angles didn't bring him back." Sam crossed his arms. "But I bet you know who did."

"Sorry, Moose, can't help you."

Dalia growled and grabbed the knife from Sam. She moved before he or Elena could stop her. She buried it to the hilt in Crowley's heart. "Don't fuck with me, Crowley," she snapped. "I'll feed you holy water just to get off on your screams."

He chuckled, looking down at the knife hilt, then slowly raised his eyes and looked at Dalia. "Temper, temper, temper." He reached up with his cuffed hands and pulled the blade out, dropping it on the table. "How's the soul doing, darling?"

Dalia growled and reached for the knife again. Sam grabbed her and pulled her out of the room, leaving Elena on guard duty. "Let go of me Sam." She pulled away from him and glared. "Why did you stop me?"

"Crowley's not going to tell us anything if you keep stabbing him." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Go get the holy water, we'll try that."

"Grab a couple angel blades too," she muttered, walking away.

"Don't bring the angel blades!" Sam called after her. He went back into the room and looked at Crowley.

The King of Hell smirked. "She was right about one thing," he started, "her and Dean are soulmates." He smirked and sat back. "So, John's back from the dead is he? I do hope he enjoyed his time in Hell. We do try to accommodate."

Sam rolled his eyes and punched him. A satisfied smirk danced over his lips when he heard Crowley's jaw crack. "Stop bullshitting around, Crowley. We know you brought him back. How did you do it?" he demanded.

"I honestly don't know." He looked past Sam when Dalia entered the room again. "Time to get off?" he asked, noticing the rather large jugs of holy water she was carrying. "I hope you're just as attractive in the throes of passion."

She smirked and unscrewed one of the caps, walking over to him. She didn't say a word as she tipped the jug upside down and let the contents flow over Crowley, soaking him. He screamed as it burned his skin. They knew it wasn't enough to really hurt the King of Hell. But enough of it, over and over again, he'd start to crack. After the jug was empty, Crowley and the floor thoroughly soaked, she tossed the jug to Elena and bent down, her lips inches from Crowley's ear. "Wow baby that was hot. I might have to excuse myself."

She walked back around the table and stood beside Sam. She crossed her arms and looked at Crowley. "Who brought John back from the dead?" she demanded. Crowley didn't answer. He smirked and looked past them. Dean and John were standing in the doorway. "Shit." They walked out of the room, ushering John and Dean back upstairs.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dean demanded. "Crowley, really? After all the shit he's done you bring him here?" He was livid, his voice echoing off the walls. He glared hard at Sam. "He's the reason you and Elena lost the baby, he's the reason Dalia died and lost her soul!"

"We're just trying to figure out how Dad got back," Sam tried to reason.

"That doesn't mean you bring the King of Hell into the bunker!"

"Wait," John said, stepping forward. "That's the King of Hell?" he demanded of Sam, pointing towards the dungeon. "What the hell is wrong with you Sam? You don't bring a demon into the house, you kill it!"

Sam glared and balled his fists, ready to take a swing. "Your son may be right." They looked over as Castiel walked into the room. "Crowley very well may know how you were brought back from the dead."

John turned on Cas. "I don't want to hear it from you either. As far as I'm concerned Dean screwed up by not putting a blade in your chest too." He stormed out of the room and they all heard his door slam.

Dean rubbed his face and looked at Castiel. John was wrong. Castiel was one of the good guys. He grabbed beer from the fridge and passed them out. "What did Crowley say?" he asked. If they brought him here they might as well get some information from him.

"He says he doesn't know," Dalia muttered around her beer.

"It doesn't help that Dalia stabbed him and then dumped a jug of holy water on him." Elena rolled her eyes and leaned into Sam.

Dean looked at her, eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"He was pissing me off." She grabbed her beer and walked out of the room.

He watched her go and looked at Sam. "What's her deal?"

"Seriously? Dean, you left without telling her. She's pissed at you." He sighed and rubbed his face. "You two are supposed to be soulmates, but ever since Dad came back it's like she doesn't matter to you. I'd be pissed at you too." He grabbed his beer and led Elena out of the room.

Dean swore and ran a hand through his hair and looked at Cas. "You made at me too?" he asked.

Castiel shook his head. "No. but you do need to figure out how your father came back. It's not natural Dean. He shouldn't be here. I know you care for him, but something is wrong. You need to figure out what it is."

He sighed and finished his beer. "Yeah, I'll get right on it." He leaned on the counter and sighed. One thing was for sure, John wasn't going to talk to Cas like that again. Castiel had been there for them when they really needed him, when it was do or die time. Castiel was family, weather John saw that or not. He rubbed his eyes. He needed to figure out what he was going to do about Dalia.


	4. Medicine

This chapter is pretty much just Sam and Elena smut. You've been warned. Seriously, there is very little plot here.

* * *

Day of the Dead

Chapter Four: Medicine

Sam opened his eyes slowly and looked down at Elena. She had her head resting on his shoulder, her body curled against his while she slept. He smiled, brushing some hair out of her face. He still couldn't believe she was with him, let alone married to him. He was going to spend the rest of his life with her. He kissed her head and ran his fingers through her hair, just watching her. They had a lot of shit going on in their lives right now, but he had this with her, this peace.

Elena burrowed deeper against him. "Morning," she mumbled against his chest.

"How'd you sleep?"

She shrugged and finally looked up at him. "Could have been better. We don't have to go hunting with John today, do we?"

Sam shook his head. John had sent out a text the night before to everyone. Apparently he'd found a hunt involving what he thought was vampires two states over. Sam wasn't planning on going with him. He didn't want to hunt with John, not after what he'd pulled with the kid who was bewitching the town. "No, in fact," he started, rolling over, putting Elena under him, "we don't even have to get out of bed."

She grinned and looked up at him. "I think I like the sound of that." Elena ran her hands over his bare chest. "You know, we never did get that wedding night." Things had been too crazy and tensions had been too high. They'd ended up talking about John being back and passing out instead of making love all night like they were supposed to.

Sam took one of her hands in his and kissed her palm. "Well, then I guess I need to start making up for that." He smirked and dipped his head, brushing his lips over her neck. "How many days have we been married, Mrs. Winchester?"

Elena couldn't help the dumb smile that danced over her lips. "Six," she answered. Had it really only been six days?

He hummed and kissed his way across her throat to her lips. "Then I believe I ow you six mind blowing orgasms." He smirked looking down at her, pulling her shirt over her head. He left her bare in a pair of black, lacy, boy cut panties.

"Pretty sure that's going to kill me." She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged him down for a kiss. Sam smirked against her mouth, fisting a hand in her hair. She wrapped her legs around his waist, arching her hips and rubbing against him. He groaned. She was pure heat against his aching cock. He needed to get inside of her.

Sam slowly kissed his way down her neck and over the slope of a breast. He cupped it in his hand, brushing his thumb over the hardening nipple. He smirked, looking up at her, his hair framing his face. "Look at that," he murmured. "It's just begging to be sucked."

Elena gasped and arched her back when Sam closed his lips around her nipple, drawing it into his mouth. Her fingers tangled in his hair as all coherent thoughts left her. All there was in the world was her and Sam and the pleasure coursing through her like a lightning storm. Sam sucked gently, his other hand released her hair. He pinched and rolled her neglected nipple between his fingers. Elena moaned, pulling his lips closer to her skin. She was drowning in a sea of sensation. "Sam, baby please," she begged. "I need you lower."

She felt him smirk around her nipple. He scraped his teeth over it, biting gently before he released it with a wet pop. "Patients," he whispered. "I promised you six mind blowing orgasms and I plan to keep my word." Sam dipped his head again, kissing the skin between her breasts, slowly making his way down her torso to her belly. Elena gasped and arched when he dipped his tongue into her belly button. He smirked and slipped his fingers into the waistband of her panties.

Elena lifted her hips as he pulled them down her legs and tossed them over his shoulder. She bit her lip. Watching him move was enough to soak her. His long hair was pushed back, disheveled, the muscles in his arms bulged, his veins popping as they supported his weight. He lowered himself to the bed and hooked his fingers around her thighs, spreading her wide and draping them over his shoulders.

She bit her lip as he nosed her. He darted his tongue out, licking her from bottom to top, curling and flicking her clit on the upsweep. She arched her back, fingers gripping his hair. "First, I'm going to make you come, all over my tongue," he gritted out. His hands clenched around her thighs. He would never get enough of her. Ever.

He dipped his tongue inside of her, moaning against her slick folds. She was the sweetest damn thing he'd ever tasted. He could die a happy man, right here, between her legs. He wrapped his lips around her clit and sucked. A swell of pure primal pride swept through him with her near scream of pleasure.

Elena wrapped her legs around Sam's neck, her fingers anchoring into his hair. Stars were dancing in front of her eyes and Sam was just getting stated. He was trying to kill her, he really was. "Oh fuck." Her back snapped into an arch when he moaned around her. He was racing her towards her first orgasm. "Right there," she moaned. Sam swirled his tongue around the left half of her clit with just the right amount of pressure. He did it again, and again.

She screamed as her orgasm crashed down around her. Her body tensed, her mind fogged over, her breath caught in her throat. When she was able to breathe and think again, she looked down at Sam. He still had her legs draped over his shoulders and the most satisfied smirk on his face. "One down, five more to go."

Elena smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, dropping her legs from his shoulders as he kissed his way back up her body. "Baby, I don't know if I can handle another five of those." She bit her lip when he paused to suck on a nipple.

He kissed her, his tongue fucking her mouth. She moaned, tasting herself on him, pressing harder against him, rubbing her breasts across his naked chest. Hell, if he wanted to kill her, she was going to go happy.

Sam slipped a hand down her side and brushed his fingers over her pussy. She shuddered and arched into his touch. He smirked, fisting a hand in her hair. He snapped her head back at the same time he pushed three fingers into her. "You don't have much of a choice, baby," he told her, his voice low and lust drunk. "I'm going to watch you come on my fingers, and then on my cock."

Elena's eyes rolled into the back of her head. She could get off on his voice alone when he was in the right mood. Good god, he was perfect. He curled his fingers, rubbing them against the one spot inside of her that drove her crazy. Sam chuckled when she bit her nails into his skin. "Your cunt is so tight," he whispered, watching her as he pumped his fingers. "Do you like the way my fingers feel inside of your hot, tight, wet pussy?"

"Oh, god, Sam. Please, don't stop." She rocked her hips, riding his fingers, trying to get to that next orgasm. She could feel the tight coil in her belly tightening and roiling.

"Don't you worry about that baby," he assured her. "I'm not going to stop." He thrusted his fingers inside of her. Her pussy clenched around his fingers, trying to pull him in. Sam knew she was close. "Come for me baby," he ordered. "Let me fucking see it." He watched her as she exploded on his fingers, her orgasm tearing through her. Her nails bit into his skin, drawing blood. He kissed her hard, pulling his fingers from her.

His cock was aching, hard, he needed to get inside of her. "You look so hot when you come." He kissed her head, taking his dick in his hand. He stroked it a few times before he guided it to her dripping opening. "You ready for me baby?"

"Sam if you don't fuck me right now—" Elena broke off on a breathless scream when Sam thrusted into her, burying himself to the hilt. Her hands fisted in his hair as he rocked against her, stretching and filling her. "Oh my god."

Sam dipped his head, nipping at her ear lobe. "God's not here Elena, just me." He slammed into her, his hands gripping her hips with bruising force. He kissed her neck, groaning as she clenched around him. He was determined to give her those six orgasms. He reached between them and rubbed her oversensitive clit with his thumb, speeding up his thrusts. Elena screamed, her nails dragging over his skin. Her pussy squeezed his dick as he forced another orgasm out of her. He slowed his thrusts, working her through it. Elena's hands fell to the bed limply, her chest heaving as she tried to draw in oxygen.

"Three down," he smirked against her neck. "Halfway there." He slowly pulled out of her and Elena whined at the loss. Sam flipped her onto her hands and knees and pulled her hips up. She bit her lip, lowering the top half of her body to the sheets when he pressed between her shoulder blades. Sam ran his hands over the globes of her ass, smoothing them up her back. She bit her lip, arching into his touch like a cat in heat. "I love this ass," he said, squeezing it roughly before giving it a good smack.

Elena moaned and pressed back against him. "Prove it," she provoked.

Sam chuckled and lined himself up with her. "You're just begging for me to ruin you." He pushed just the head of his cock into her. He leaned over her and fisted a hand in her hair. He pulled, snapping her head back as he slammed his hips forward, sinking into her tight, wet, heat. She moaned, her fingers clawing at the sheets. "You like it when I pull your hair, don't you?" He left hot, open mouth kisses all along her spine as he rode her hard. "You love it when I pound your tight little pussy."

Elena gasped, rocking her hips back against him. She was burning up. Her nerve endings were on fire. She was sure that before he'd gotten her to her sixth orgasm she was going to explode. She squeezed Sam's dick as he pounded against her. "You feel so good," she moaned out. "So big and thick inside of me."

Sam slapped her ass again and doubled his efforts. The bed slammed against the wall with the power of each thrust. He pulled sharply on her hair as he rubbed her clit again. Elena's mind went completely blank when her fourth orgasm crashed over her. Sam gently eased out of her and stretched her out on the bed. He spooned himself against her back and ran his hand over her hip, up to cup her breast. He playfully stroked her nipple with his thumb, leaving kisses along her neck. "Need a break?" he asked. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her to pass out. She nodded her head, too blissed out to actually form a simple word like 'yes'. He smirked, more than full of himself as he stroked her skin and kissed her neck and shoulder. He'd let her rest for a bit before he finished.

But that didn't stop him from grinding his achingly hard cock against her ass. He buried his head against her neck and breathed her in as he rocked his hips. Elena moaned softly. She reached between them and stroked him with her fingers, running her thumb through the pre come gathering at the tip. He bit his lip, arching into her hand. If she kept that up she wasn't going to get much of a break. "Just can't keep your hands off me, can you?" he teased. "You're too fucked out to even talk, but you still want my dick." He moved her hand away, and guided himself to her, chuckling when she whined but arched her back. "You just want me to fill you up, to make you scream as you come around my dick."

"Sammy," she breathed out. "Please."

"Please what, my little cock slut?" He kept his hips still, nestled inside her hot cunt.

"Fuck me."

He smirked and pulled his hips back, thrusting in again with a slow stroke. She was so much tighter like this, on her side with her legs pressed together. He bit her neck, then turned her head so he could kiss her, his hips gradually picking up speed. Elena moaned into his mouth. She took his hand and wrapped his arm around her, lacing their fingers as he fucked her. Their bodies slipped against each other, drenched in sweat. Hair stuck to skin. The sound of Sam slamming his hips against her filled the room. His tongue mimicked his hips, fucking her mouth the way his cock was fucking her pussy. He was getting close himself, he needed to speed things along. Her clit was so sensitive it only took a few flicks from his finger before she was crying out and coming around him again. He groaned. It took everything inside of him not to blow right then and there.

Sam gently eased out of her and rolled her onto her back, nestling himself between her legs. She shook her head as he eased inside of her overly sensitive cunt again. "I can't," she panted.

"You can." He cupped her face, kissing her softly. "One last time baby." He rested his forehead against hers, staring into her gorgeous eyes. "Just one more time. I want you to come with me." He pushed her drenched hair away from her face and kissed her. He slid his hands up her sides, up her arms, holding them over her head as he laced their fingers. This time he was slow, gentle, creating a soft wave of passion that enveloped them both. Their sweat slicked bodies slid and rocked against each other as he kissed her. "I love you," he whispered against her lips. "I'm never letting you go."

Elena stared up into his eyes when he pressed his forehead against hers again. She was right there on the verge. "Sam, I'm so close."

"I know baby." He kissed her, staring down into her. "Come for me, I want to feel it." He kissed her hard, his tongue plundering her mouth. Elena moaned into her kiss, her body arching against his as she came. Sam didn't hold back this time, couldn't. He groaned into the kiss, his fingers tightening around hers as he came, spilling himself deep inside of her. Gasping for air, drenched in sweat, and completely blissed out, he gently eased out of her and collapsed on the bed beside her.

Elena rolled, resting her head on his chest as she tried to catch her breath. "Not getting a wedding night was so worth it," she whispered. Sam laughed breathlessly, wrapping her up in his arms. No one had ever made him this happy in his life. He kissed her head, stroking small circles over her back as she quickly fell asleep again.

xXx

Dalia slipped the empty clip out of her gun, staring down the shooting range at the third target she'd annihilated. She was trying to blow off some steam and to stay away from Dean. He was trying to stay away from her as far as she could tell. He'd gone off on another hunt with John. He'd left her a note, telling her it was a simple salt and burn five hours away. He was planning on being home before she went to bed and then he wanted to talk. She wasn't interested. As far as she was concerned John was poison and Dean needed to stay away from him.

She sighed and walked out of the gun range, going to her room. Whatever Dean was doing with John she didn't care. She wanted to care, god she wished she could care. But she was done. Her heart hurt too damn much. She stripped out of her clothes and pulled on one of Dean's shirts. She slipped into the bed and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. Part of her wanted to wait up, just to make sure Dean got home okay. She didn't trust John to have his back in a fight. Not really.

She rolled onto her side. "Castiel, if you can hear me…I need you."

"Dalia." Castiel appeared by the bed. She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. Cas sat down on the bed beside her, guiding her head onto his lap. He stroked her hair, letting her cry, to get it all out.

"I don't know what to do."

He sighed above her. "I wish I did." He looked down at her, stroking her hair away from her face. "Things will get better. If there's one thing I've come to learn it's that Dean always makes things right in the end."

She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of Dean's borrowed shirt. She could smell him on it. Gun powder, motor oil, and spice. A fresh wave of grief washed over her. "My heart hurts, Castiel."

He bent down and kissed her head. "What can I do?" She shook her head. She honestly didn't know. He stretched out on the bed beside her, allowing her to cocoon herself in his arms. He didn't know what he could do for her. He knew from experience that it was difficult to reason with Dean. If he could give her this small comfort than he would.

"What the hell is this?" They both looked up. Dean was standing in the doorway, watching them. Arms crossed. He looked pissed. He was still dressed in his FBI suit from the hunt. Dalia sat up, pulling away from Castiel.

"Dean, it's nothing," Cas said. "She just needed some comfort."

"Get out," he growled. Castiel gave Dalia an apologetic look before disappearing. Dean glared at Dalia. "Do you want to explain yourself?" he asked.

"Nothing happened," she snapped, wiping her eyes. "Damn it, Dean. Just go away."

"That's not going to happen." He looked at her. "Are you really that mad at me that you'd talk to Castiel, cry in front of him, instead of talking to me?"

"You're breaking my heart," she shouted. "You leave without telling me and I don't know if you're coming back alive or not!" She covered her face. "I can't keep doing this."

He walked over to her, cupping her face. "Baby, I'm not going anywhere." He kissed her. "I promise."

She pushed him away, but Dean wasn't having it. He held her against him, kissing her hard. Dalia wanted to fight it, she didn't want this. She wanted to hate him right now. She was so mad, so hurt. "You're mine, Dalia," he whispered. She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving in to him. She needed this. She needed him.

She rested her head against his shoulder and just breathed him in. "I need to know you're okay. I know he's your dad. I know you love him, but damn it, Dean I don't trust him."

Dean rubbed her back, holding her close. He didn't know she was so upset, that she was hurting this much. It was all his fault. He thought everything was going to be okay. She had her soul back, no one was trying to kill them. John was back. He didn't realize that he was the one causing her all the pain this time. "I'm sorry, Dalia." He kissed her head. "I won't go off without you again." I promise.

She wished she could believe that. But she couldn't. She was just going to have to make sure that Dean didn't hunt without her. Not anymore. She let him lay her down let him hold her. She didn't know who brought John back, she didn't know why, and she didn't care anymore. She was going to protect Dean. He was too close to the situation to see that John wasn't good for him. She was going to have to save him this time. She was going to be his medicine.


	5. Dark Places

Day of the Dead

Chapter Five: Dark Places

Dalia sighed, setting her toothbrush down and rinsed out the sink. She was on a hunt, alone, with Dean and John. Sam had all but refused to go with. He didn't think it was a good idea to be anywhere near John. She couldn't say she blamed him. She was trying her best to get along with John. That mean that she was basically just doing what she was told. She was trying not to let it show, but she was ready to knock him out. He was giving her all of the crap assignments. She wanted to talk to Dean about it, or someone, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Sam and Elena were taking care of a wendigo out in Montana and John was watching her like a hawk. He didn't want her alone with Dean any more than she wanted him alone with Dean.

Although, it seemed like John was getting his way in that area. She was in the motel room, alone. She was supposed to be doing research while the men went and talked to the locals. It was a bullshit assignment. They knew what they were up against. The lunar cycle fit, the animal attacks, and the fact that the heart was missing all pointed to a werewolf. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

Dalia sat down at the computer. She was going to do some research alright, but it wasn't going to be on the case. They were still trying to find a decent lead on John. She rubbed her eyes and got to work. Two hours went by before Dean came back with dinner. They'd gotten in late, but had decided to get a jump on the case anyways. She frowned, looking around for John. "Where's your dad?" she asked when Dean closed the door.

"Out scouting the locations. He thinks we should hold off hunting tonight, wait until tomorrow after we're not so tired from driving all day." He set the food on the table and sat beside her.

Dalia chewed on her lip as Dean pulled the food out. Now was her chance to talk to him. She didn't know how long John was going to be gone. "Can we talk?" she asked. Dean looked up at her warily. They were still on rocky ground with each other. Finally he nodded her head. "You see what he's doing right?"

"No, I guess I don't. Why don't you fill me in?" He sat back, burger in hand.

She didn't miss the sarcasm. "Dean, he's giving me all of the shit assignments so I'm stuck in the motel room."

"That's bullshit."

"Is it?" She swept her arms open. "Dean, since when do we need to do research on a werewolf killing?"

"How do we know it's a werewolf?"

That pissed her off more than anything. Dean _knew_ it was a werewolf and now John had him second guessing himself. Which was bullshit. Dean was the best damn hunter she'd ever known. She wasn't going to play nice anymore. She reached across the table and slapped him. He growled, getting up and glaring at her. They'd had a knock down drag out fight before, and they both knew they were willing to do it again. "Don't you fucking give me that," she spat. "You're a good hunter, Dean. A _damn good_ hunter. Do not let your poisonous father come in here and make you start second guessing yourself."

He walked around the table. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pinned her to the table. "I'm not second guessing anything," he growled.

"That's bullshit."

He pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. "If you don't like the way he does things, then you don't have to hunt with us."

There it was. The knife through her heart. He was picking him over her because he was too damn blind to see what John was doing to him. She crossed her arms. "I'll finish this hunt," she told him. "But I'm done. I can't watch John do this to you." She walked over to the table, grabbed her food and sat on a bed. She flipped on the television and tried to ignore Dean.

xXx

John was smirking outside of the door. He'd been waiting for an opportunity like this. He just needed to push Dalia and Dean a little further apart. Sam he wasn't worried about. He was never a good son, never the right kind of hunter. He let his emotions get in the way too much. But Dean…Dean was the son John had always favored. He did what he was told, without question. He was the son John wanted by his side.

He just needed to wait until Dalia went to sleep before he drove them just a little further apart. It wouldn't take much before she would leave Dean and the bunker for good. Soulmates be damned. He was going to make sure that she was away from his family. He pulled out a cellphone as soon as the lights went out. He'd gotten some insurance the last time he went on a hunt alone. He'd cloned her mother's phone. He quickly sent the text message and walked into the motel.

Dalia was sleeping in one of the beds, Dean was passed out on the couch. John rolled his eyes but went to the vacant bed and fell asleep. It wouldn't be long before Dalia was out of the picture. He was disappointed in Dean. The second he learned she wasn't a human any longer, the second he realized she was something supernatural, he should have put a bullet in her.

xXx

Dean woke when Dalia kicked his leg. She was running around the room, quickly throwing things into her bag. "What's going on?"

"My mom texted. She said she's in trouble." She was worried, Dean could see it. Her muscles were tight, her brow drawn together. He got up and started packing up his own things. He wasn't going to let Dalia go alone. She could be walking straight into a trap. He noticed John was just sitting at the table, watching her.

"Where are you going, Dean?" he asked.

"I'm going with Dalia." He threw his jeans into his bag.

"We have a case to finish." John looked at Dean, ignoring the daggers Dalia was glaring at him. "Did you forget that?"

"Dad…it's Dalia's mother."

"And like you said, Dalia's been hunting for a long time, long before she met you. I'm sure whatever it is she can handle it."

Dean chewed on his lip. John had a point. And they did have a werewolf to stop. It'd already killed three people. "You've got to be kidding me," Dalia snapped. "You're seriously going to stay?"

"Did I say that?"

"It's all over your face!" He could see the tears burning in her eyes. "Fuck you, Dean." She grabbed her bag and walked out of the room, slamming the motel door with enough force to rattle the cheap pictures hanging on the walls.

He flinched. "Son of a bitch."

"You can meet up with her after we finish this." John got up and put a hand on his shoulder. "C'mon, I know who our werewolf is."

Dean nodded and grabbed his gun, making sure it was loaded with silver bullets as he followed John out of the motel room. He wasn't happy about the situation. He wanted to be with Dalia, but John was right. They had a case to finish. They had innocent people to save. That was the family business, it always had been. Dalia could handle whatever was going on with her mom. At least until he could get there. He climbed into the Impala and drove to the warehouse John directed him to. Apparently that's where the werewolf was camping out. He loaded a gun into the chamber and followed John inside.

He slowly walked through the building, gun raised, ready to fire. He tried to keep his footfalls quiet as he rounded a corner. He could see the werewolf. He had a girl tied to a chair. She was either going to be another meal, or he was going to turn her.

Or he already had.

Dean walked in, putting his gun on the werewolf. He didn't even give him a chance to turn around. He fired, putting a bullet through his heart. Dean watched him fall to the ground, gasping for air, choking of blood. He walked over to the girl. She was crying, begging him to let her go. He moved her hair to the side and swore when he saw the bite mark on her neck. She was a goner already. He started to tell her he was sorry, there was nothing to do, but John put a bullet in her.

He looked over at John, frowning. He didn't like the look in his eyes.

xXx

Dalia slammed on the breaks of the stolen car in front of her mother's house. She grabbed her gun, double checking to make sure it was fully loaded and cocked it, putting a bullet in the chamber. She rushed out of the car and kicked the door in, gun up as she swept left and right. She kept her eyes level, tried to trample down the emotions running through her. The worry for her mother, the anger at John. She walked into the living room, training her gun on the man sitting on the couch.

"Whoa!" He put his hands up and backed into the couch, trying to disappear into it. "Whatever you want, just take it."

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Dalia?"

She turned, her mother was standing in the doorway, two glasses of wine in her hands. "Mom, are you okay?" she asked, keeping her gun on the man.

"Yes, but why are you holding my date at gun point?" Tammy glared at her daughter. "What's going on?"

Dalia slowly lowered the gun, more than confused. "I need to talk with you." She grabbed her mother's elbow and led her into the kitchen. "What's going on? Are you hurt?" she asked.

"What are you talking about? Dalia, I'm fine."

Dalia wasn't buying it. She grabbed a flask of holy water and threw it on her mother. She spat it out and huffed. "Really, Dalia do you—" Dalia threw salt next. When that didn't work she narrowed her eyes. Tammy could still be a shifter. She grabbed her silver knife and roughly pulled her mother's arm, nicking her with the blade. "Dalia!"

She huffed and put the knife on the counter when nothing happened. "Mom, you texted me last night, you said something was wrong."

Tammy put a rag over the small wound on her arm. "No, I didn't."

Dalia frowned and looked at her mother. "But…" Everything started to click into place. She growled and threw her knife into the wall just to hit something. "Son of a bitch!"

"Baby, what's going on?"

She shook her head and pulled her cellphone out and dialed Sam's number. She was livid. "Dalia?" Sam asked. "What's going on?"

"Get back to the bunker, now," she growled. She walked over to the wall and ripped the knife out of the plaster. "We're finding out how John came back." She hung up and rubbed her eyes.

Tammy walked over and put her arms around her daughter. "What's going on baby?" Dalia broke down. She wrapped her arms around her mother. Everything came pouring out. Fighting the Titans, dying, coming back, her memory loss, John showing up. Everything. Tammy kissed her head. "I'm so sorry baby."

She shook her head, drying her eyes and glaring at the knife in her hand. She wanted to put it deep in John's heart. "I'm going to do something about John Winchester. He's not taking Dean from me."


	6. Apologize

Day of the Dead

Chapter Six: Apologize

Dean carefully balanced the tray of flowers, beer, and pie as he opened Dalia's bedroom door. He'd felt like shit after he'd let her go check on her mom alone. The whole drive back to the bunker he'd been thinking about all of the things he should have said, should have done. After he'd gotten home he'd apologized profusely, all but begging her to forgive him. She had a little bit, but he was still trying. He was waiting on her hand and foot, giving her anything and everything she wanted or asked for. He even had a special plan for them in a few hours.

He walked into the room and set it on the table beside the bed. Dalia looked up at him, taking her headphones out and setting her computer off to the side. "What's this?" she asked, looking at the tray.

"Thought maybe I'd sweeten you up before I asked you to dinner." He sat beside her and took one of the beers from the tray, taking a drink. He was nervous as hell. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually gone on a date with someone. God, Lisa was probably the last person and he was pretty sure they'd just gone to a bar. He'd never done anything at the level of what he was planning.

"Dinner?" She smiled and took his beer, taking a drink from it. "What did you have in mind?" She reclined back against her pillows, stretching her legs out in front of her.

He stretched out on the bed beside her, putting his hand on his knee. He watched his fingers as he spoke, drifting them up and down her thigh. "Well, I was thinking you slip on that little black dress that I love. The one you bought for when we had that gala event? Maybe a pair of sexy black heels."

"Sounds fancy." She smiled, watching him trace the hole in the knee of her jeans. "What's the occasion?"

He shook his head and looked up at her. "No occasion. Can you be ready in an hour?"

"I think I can manage that." She bent down and kissed him. "But you have to leave."

"Yes ma'am." He kissed her again and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Dalia sighed and pushed a hand through her hair. She knew Dean was trying to make up for letting her go off alone. She appreciated everything he was putting into it. She just wasn't sure that it was going to be that easy. She got up and went to her closet. The last time she'd worn the dress she'd had to cut the side so she could fight the witch they were up against. That had been a particularly painful hunt. When she thought about it, Dalia could still feel the nails that she'd choked on.

She sighed and sat on the bed, hemming the rip she'd put in the dress to make it look natural, fixing the frays. As soon as she had it up to her standards she pulled it on and went to sit in front of her mirror to apply her makeup.

By the time her hour was up, Dean was knocking on her door. "Just a second." She got up and slipped her feet into a pair of heels, and put her pistol into her clutch. She opened the door and felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of Dean. He really meant about going all out. He was dressed in a suit, but not the cheap FBI one that she usually saw him in. He was wearing a black suit, cut perfectly to fit his body. She bit her lip.

"Ready?" he asked, offering his arm. Dalia nodded, at a loss for words. She wrapped her arm around his and let him lead her down the hall. Sam and Elena looked up when they got to the library. Sam whistled as he looked them over. "Alright, that's enough."

"I feel like we should take a picture of this," Sam teased. Dean rolled his eyes and led her past them and up to the stairs. "Behave!" he called after them.

Dalia smiled a little as they walked into the garage. Dean walked her around to the passenger's side and opened the door for her. She was starting to feel bad about being so mad at him. He helped her in and closed the door, walking around and sliding behind the wheel. "So, any clue as to where we're going?" she asked.

He smirked and looked at her as he started the Impala. "Nope, it's a surprise." He gave her a wink and drove out of the garage. He reached over and took her hand as he drove. Dalia smiled. This was nice. It was something normal people did. It was a nice break from the rough and dirty of the job.

He drove an hour away from the bunker and pulled up in front of one of the fanciest restaurants Dalia had seen. There was a valet out front. Dean climbed out, handing the keys to the kid as another man opened the door for Dalia and helped her out. She smiled, watching Dean give clear instructions on what to do with his car before he walked around and took her hand. He led them inside and gave his name to the maître d. She was impressed when they didn't have to wait and were escorted back to a table in the middle of the room.

She smiled when Dean pulled her chair out for her. The man left them menus and the wine list before walking off. She looked at Dean and smiled. "This is impressive."

"I try." He reached across the table and took her hands. "Look, Dalia, I'm sorry. For everything."

Dalia shook her head as the waiter came over. Dean quickly ordered some wine for them. She assumed he got the suggestion from Sam or Elena. He also took the opportunity to order their dinner. It wasn't lost on her that he ordered her favorite. Once he left she looked back at Dean. "I know you're sorry," she told him. "But baby, we need to talk about this."

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know we do."

She sat back and took a deep breath. She needed to talk to him about this. The last time she tried they'd ended up getting into a fight. She was really hoping that didn't happen this time. "I know he's your dad, and I know you love him. Every child loves their parent." She rubbed his hand with her thumb. "But can't you see that he's poison for you?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't see it that way."

She nodded her head and waited while the waiter brought the wine and left again. "I know you don't, and that's the problem." She sighed and shook her head. "The others and I have been trying to find out how he came back because it shouldn't have happened. It's not natural. And he didn't come back right."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I've heard stories about John. I don't think that he'd try to kill a kid like that. Or fake a text message from my mother."

Dean nodded his head. "I know." He sighed and thanked the waiter who brought their food. Dalia took a sip of her wine and watched him. "I can't say that I like it, but I can say that I agree something isn't right about Dad." He started cutting into his steak. "I'll help you guys try to figure out how he got back."

"There's more to it." She watched him as she took a bite of her pasta. "I think he's under someone's control. Whoever brought him back is controlling him."

He sighed and looked at her. "I guess that's not the strangest thing I've ever heard."

She smiled a little. The rest of the conversation was geared more towards them. Dean asked her where she would like to vacation if they ever got the chance. He told her they would go spend a weekend with her mother once things settled down a bit. He told her how impressed and turned on he'd been when Sam told him what she'd done to Crowley.

By the time they made it through dessert they both felt like they were back to where they needed to be. They were happy. She sat in the middle seat, leaning against Dean with his arm around her shoulder as he drove home. When they walked down the stairs, Dean whispering into her ear about all of the things he wanted to do to her, John was waiting in the library. Dalia's heart sank a little bit.

"Dean, I found another case. We need to talk about it." She sighed and pulled away from him, heading back to the bedroom.

Dean caught her hand, stopping her. He kissed her head. "Sorry, Dad. We can talk about it in the morning," he said, surprising the hell out of Dalia. "I've got something else I need to do." He led her back to his room and opened the door for her.

Dalia tossed her clutch on the desk and slipped out of her heels. Dean pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She moaned softly into his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. This is what she needed. She needed just one night to be with Dean. No ghosts, no vampires, no father's back from the grave, no plots to steal her soul or kill someone. Just her and Dean, making love in _their_ bed.

Dean reached behind her, slipping the zipper of her dress down as he kissed her. She unhooked her arms from around his neck so he could slide it down her arms, letting it pool around her feet. He pulled back, looking at her. He bit his lip, running a finger between the strap of a garter and her thigh. "Have I ever told you how much I love these things?" he whispered.

She smiled and unbuttoned his suit jacket, pushing it from his shoulders. "Well, if you like them that much," she said, looking up at him as she unbuttoned the crisp white oxford, "then maybe I'll leave them on." He groaned and picked her up, lying her back on the bed. He kissed her neck, running his hands up her sides. Dalia moaned, arching under him, grinding her hips against him. She reached down and started on his pants. "Baby, I can't take teasing tonight, please."

He kissed her, moving her hands of the way to pull at his pants himself. He kicked them off, moving his lips to her neck. "Don't worry baby, I'm right there with you." He tossed the rest of this clothes over the side of the bed and nestled between her legs, rubbing against her. She whined, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Dean slid into her slowly and bit his lip. Dalia arched under him, rocking with him. They both needed this, they needed to love each other. This was better than any kind of apology he could give her. He needed to know that she still loved him and she needed to know that he still wanted her, above John, before John.

It was slow, passionate, romantic, everything they never got in their lives as hunters. It was everything they needed.


	7. Lights Out

Day of the Dead

Chapter 7: Lights Out

The next morning Dean woke up with Dalia curled up in his arms, her head on his chest. This is what he'd missed. He kissed her head, running his fingers through her hair. He was going to make sure his father didn't come between them again. She shifted against him, reaching down to pull the blankets higher up her body. "Morning baby."

She smiled against his skin. "Morning." She sighed, stretching out against him. "Your dad still has that case he wanted to talk to you about."

He sighed, rolling onto his side, wrapping both arms around her. "He can wait another ten minutes." Dean kissed her hair and closed his eyes. They laid like that, wrapped up in each other, just listening to the other breathe. "I love you."

"I love you too." Dalia pated his chest and looked up at him. "Time to face the music."

"Yeah…" They rolled out of bed and started dressing. "Dalia?"

"Yeah?"

Dean watched her rearrange her breasts after she hooked her bra in the back. "Will you come with us?" He was still thinking about what she'd told him on the last hunt.

She looked over at him, buttoning her jeans. "If you want me to."

He nodded, pulling his shirt on. "Yeah, I do."

Dalia walked over, swiping one of his shirts and kissed his cheek. "Then I'll go."

He took her hand and walked out of the room. Sam was walking towards him, carrying Elena in his arms. "Did you two kids have fun last night?" Elena teased.

"Actually, we did." Dalia's smile faded somewhat when they walked into the library. John was sitting there, waiting for them.

"Boys we need to talk." He glanced between the girls. "Alone."

Sam sighed and gently put Elena on her feet. "We'll go make breakfast." She reached up and kissed him before following Dalia towards the kitchen.

Sam and Dean exchanged a look before sitting at the table. They could tell John was pissed about something. He looked between the boys before he sighed and shook his head. "I just don't understand you two. After all of the pure shit we've been through, after you two have watched everyone you know and love die, you think it's a good idea to fall in love."

"You had mom," Sam piped up.

"And look at what happened to her." John shook his head and looked at Dean. "You said Dalia already died once. You really want to go through that again?" he snapped. Dean sighed and rubbed his eyes. He didn't want to do this right now. He just wanted to go eat whatever Dalia was making and go hunting. Like they used to do. "I think you two need to send them away. Get them out of the life and out of the bunker. That's what you should do if you really love them."

Dean shook his head and looked across the table at Sam. "No." He got up, looking down at his father. "I don't care if you don't like them. I don't care if you think they shouldn't be hunting, or shouldn't be here. Sam's _married_ , and Dalia isn't going anywhere. I'm not losing her again." He sighed and looked at Sam. He could do this, stand up to his father. "They're staying, and they're hunting with us. If you don't like that…you can leave."

He started to walk out, Sam getting up to follow him. "We still have a case," John snapped.

Dean stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not going without Sam and the girls." He turned and looked at his father. "Think you can back off long enough for us to get through a hunt?" John rolled his eyes, but nodded his head. "Good. Come to the kitchen. I'm starving."

Sam caught up with him in the hallway. "That was impressive," he whispered.

"Yeah, well don't get used to it." He walked into the kitchen and went straight to Dalia. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Something smells good."

She smiled and leaned back into him as she worked a spatula through some eggs. "Elena made pancakes, the sausage is almost done, and these eggs are just about ready." She glanced over when John walked in and sat at the table.

"It's taken care of," he assured her. He grabbed a platter and held it for her as she scooped the eggs onto it and carried it to the table. They sat down and started eating while John explained the case. Dean didn't know how well this was going to go for anyone. All he could hope for was that John would lay off the girls for a while. He missed hunting with Dalia, missing riding in the car with Sam riding shotgun. Things needed to get back to normal, weather John liked it or not.

xXx

Dalia chewed on the end of her pen while she scrolled through another site. Sam and Dean had gone into town to talk to the locals, leaving her and Elena in the motel with John. They called from time to time, giving them an update and to check in to make sure no one had been killed yet. Elena had a working list of all of the information they'd gathered so far. She was a hell of a lot better at the research than Dalia was.

She sighed and sat back, running her hands through her hair. She wanted a beer. She glanced over at John. He was sitting on one of the beds, looking through medical files on their four victims. He hadn't said much since the boys had left.

"Son of a bitch." They both looked over at Elena. "It's a Djinn."

John got off the bed and walked over, leaning over Elena's shoulder. "Are you sure?"

She nodded her head. "Oh yeah. Sam said that the ME found huge amounts of hallucinogens in the victims. That coupled with the fact that they were drained of all of their blood means we're dealing with a Djinn."

John nodded and grabbed his jacket. "Let's go."

"Where?" Dalia asked. She stood and pulled her leather jacket on.

"We'll go scout out some locations, see what we can find. The sooner we find this son of a bitch, the sooner we can go home." She couldn't argue with that. She and Elena followed him out of the room. They climbed into the second car they'd brought and let John drive.

"The last time Sam and Dean dealt with a Djinn it was in an abandoned warehouse that was pretty much a pile of rubble. They like ruins." Elena pulled up a map of the town on her phone. "I think our best bet is to start on the east side. It looks like a lot of that part of the city is in disrepair."

John shook his head. "Those are small places compared to that abandoned rundown factory on the north side. We passed it when we drove in."

Dalia glanced at him from the passenger's seat. He wasn't wrong. "Should we call Sam and Dean?"

"No, we're going to scout it out, see what there is. If it's there we'll go back to the motel, get the boys, and go back later."

Dalia didn't think this was a great idea. She pulled her phone out of her pocket to send Dean a text, just to let him know what was going on. She looked at the screen and swore to herself. She didn't have any service. She glanced back at Elena. She was frowning at her phone. Son of a bitch. She sat back and pulled her gun out. It wouldn't do any good against a Djinn, but it would buy them time if they ran into trouble.

John pulled up to the factory. Dalia climbed out and gave Elena a look. Elena subtly nodded her head and pulled her gun out, staying close to Dalia as they followed John inside. They could smell the mold and the dust after years of disuse. She knew their best bet was the basement. The lower down, the better. She sighed, looking at the door to the stairs. There was no turning back down. She quickly and quietly made her way down, gun raised, Elena behind her. They were at the bottom of the stairs before they heard the door close and lock at the top.

"Son of a bitch," Dalia swore. She raced back up and tried to open it. She could hear John walking away on the other side. "Bastard." She climbed back down the stairs and looked at Elena. "We need to find another way out of here."

"I'm still not getting any service." Elena put her phone away and they started to make their way through the halls of the basement.

"You're not going to." Dalia peeked around a corner and swore, quickly pressing her back against the wall. The Djinn was on the other side. He was taking a dead body down. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, swallowing hard. They just had to wait until he was gone. They could make a break for it. Hopefully. They couldn't wait on Sam and Dean to help them out of this mess. There was no way to know what John would tell them, how long it would take them to figure out it was a Djinn, or how long it would take them to track down the building. By the time they actually did show up, Elena and Dalia could be dead.

She looked around the corner again. When she didn't see the Djinn she motioned Elena forward. They quietly crept past the room the Djinn had set up for his pray. Dalia saw another door leading back upstairs and a brief moment of relief washed over her. She inched towards it.

Elena screamed behind her as the Djinn threw her into a wall. Dalia swore and took a shot but missed. She ran towards Elena. She needed to get her up and get her out. "Dalia!" Elena tried to warn her. Dalia gasped when the Djinn pinned her to a wall and used his magic to put her to sleep.

John waited ten minutes after he heard the gunshot go off. When the girls didn't show up or appear knocking on the locked door he smirked. The Djinn had them. He unlocked the door and walked out of the factory. The drive back to the motel was short, and blissful. As long as he could keep Sam and Dean away long enough the girls would be out of the picture.

xXx

Dean looked up from his computer when John walked into the room. He was a little worried that Dalia and Elena weren't with him. "Where have you been?" he asked.

John dropped the keys on the table and grabbed a beer from the fridge. "Elena figured out what we're up against."

"What is it?"

"Djinn." He opened the beer and leaned back against the wall. "We went to scout out some possible locations."

Something wasn't sitting right with Dean. Why didn't Dalia call or text him? Why didn't Elena tell Sam what they were doing? "Where are they?" he asked.

John shook his head. "No clue. We split up to cover more ground. They're probably just not back yet."

Dean glanced over at Sam. He was just as worried as Dean was. He pulled out his phone and called Dalia. Something was seriously wrong. They wouldn't just take off without telling them where they were going. He swore when it went to voicemail and grabbed his jacket. Sam followed his lead. "Something happened." He looked over at John. "Are you coming?"

He sighed and finished his beer. "I'm sure they're fine, Dean." He followed them out to the Impala. Dean sped off while Sam started looking on his phone. "There's an old run down factory not far from here." Dean nodded his head and drove. Dalia was hurt. In his gut he knew it. She never put him to voicemail. Even when she'd been pissed at him she'd answer her phone, just so he'd know she was okay.

He followed Sam's directions to the factory and parked the car in front. He climbed out, body humming with nerves as he walked around to the trunk. They still had the knife from the last Djinn they'd dealt with. He grabbed a second and opened the jar of lamb's blood they kept on hand. He dipped the second knife and handed it to Sam then quickly made a third for John. He shut the trunk and headed inside.

"Basement," Sam said, nodding to a stairwell.

Dean nodded and followed Sam down the stairs. He saw the marks in the dirt and dust. He knew the girls had been here. They quickly made their way down the stairs and started down the hall. He wasn't sure what has possessed them to come down here without a way to actually kill the Djinn. They were smarter than that. Something was off, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

He walked around the corner and swore, quickly backing up, pushing Sam and John behind him. The Djinn had Dalia and Elena hanging from the ceiling, their blood draining. He looked at Sam and nodded his head. There was no going in quiet about this. They needed to get the girls down. It was hard to know how long they'd been up there already. They braced themselves and jumped out of hiding. The Djinn turned, glaring at them.

"Sam, get the girls." Dean swung at the Djinn, but it dodged and he got thrown into the wall. He grunted as he pushed to his feet and went on the attack again. He didn't know what John was doing, but he couldn't focus. He had to take out the Djinn. He remembered what it'd been like when he'd been under the spell. All of the pain and the heartbreak he'd gone through. He channeled that rage, used it so he could save Dalia. He jumped on the Djinn's back when it tried going for Sam. He cried out and grabbed Dean, throwing him over his shoulder.

The air rushed out of Dean's lungs as he hit the ground hard. He heard Sam get one of the girls down. Dan pushed up again just as the Djinn started towards him. He grabbed it by the front of the shirt it was wearing and drove the blade deep into its chest. He stumbled back, panting as he looked over. Sam was pulling the needle out of Elena and helping her down. He walked over, pulling Dalia into his arms.

"Baby, c'mon, wake up for me." He brushed her hair from her face. She whined, thrashing in his arms as she woke up. She tried going for a gun that wasn't there. "Hey, it's okay. It's just me."

She looked up at him. "Dean?"

"Hey beautiful." She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. Dean held her close and looked over at Sam. Elena was griping the front of his shirt like she was afraid to let go. He picked Dalia up and watched John gather the knives they'd brought. Something was off. Why hadn't John helped him fight off the Djinn? He sighed and decided he'd worry about it later. He needed to get Dalia out of here.

They carried the girls up to the Impala. Dean left Dalia with Sam in the backseat as he drove back to the motel. John offered to go inside and pack everything up, but Dean had turned him down. "We'll go pack up. You can go grab some food for the road. The girls lost a lot of blood."

He climbed out and helped Dalia inside while John climbed in the second car and took off to get food. When they were inside Sam and Dean put the girls on the bed and started packing up. "John did this," Dalia said.

Dean stopped and looked at her. 'What?"

Elena nodded her head. "He told us we were just going to look. By the time we tried to tell you where we were going we couldn't get a signal on our phones." She looked at Dalia. Neither of them really wanted to tell Sam and Dean that their father just tried to have them killed.

Dalia sighed and rubbed her eyes. She was so damn tired. "We went inside and headed to the basement. John locked the door behind us so we couldn't get back up. He fed us to that thing." She looked up, watching Dean's face. She watched as the rage set in. Weather it was against her or John she didn't know. "John tried to have us killed."


	8. Tendencies

Day of the Dead

Chapter Eight: Tendencies

Dean walked into the library and sat at the table with the others. "He's gone." They'd been waiting for the right time to talk about the crap John had happed on their last hunt. Dean was livid. He didn't understand how his father could offer the girls up to a Djinn like that. Needless to say he was now on board with the whole mind control angle. John had been a lot of things, but he'd never been a monster. "Cas, c'mon man, he's not here and we could use some help." He looked up when he heard the fluttering wings.

"What's going on?" Castiel took a seat at the table beside Elena.

Dean sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face. "Dad tried to kill the girls by locking them in with a Djinn." Just saying it aloud pissed him off.

Cas sighed and looked between Dalia and Elena. "We're alright, Cas," Elena assured him.

He nodded and looked at Sam. "I believe you were on the right track before when you assumed Crowley had something to do with it." He folded his hands and leaned forward on his elbows. "It appears an angel, Malachi, has been secretly working for Crowley for some time now. That's how your father's soul was able to escape heaven." He looked across the table at Dean. "He's been dealt with."

Dean nodded and sighed. He looked over at Sam. "Crowley's still in the basement. Let's go have another chat." They got up and headed down to the dungeon.

Crowley looked up when they walked in. "Well, this is interesting. What can I do for you?" he asked, an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Cut the crap, Crowley." Dean crossed his arms, glaring at him. He wanted nothing more than to send the son of a bitch to purgatory. "We know that you had an angel help you get Dad's soul out of heaven." He leaned forward on the table, getting eye level with Crowley. "Why?"

Crowley sighed, sitting back as he rolled his eyes. "It's hard to find good help these days."

"Why did you bring Dad back?" Dean snapped. He was losing his patients.

"I'll tell you what, Squirrel. I'll tell you about my plans, but it'll cost you." He smirked, looking up at Dean. "Just slip these chains off for me."

"That's not going to happen." Dean looked back at Dalia, nodding his head. She picked up a jug of holy water and started towards Crowley.

"Gonna use me to get off again?" Crowley asked, watching her approach.

Dalia unscrewed the cap, looking down at Crowley. "Not this time." She bent down next to his ear and flicked her eyes over to Dean. "See, it turns him on when I torture demons." She stood up and forced Crowley's head back, upending the jug, she forced the holy water down his throat. Crowley screamed and gurgled as his skin and insides bubbled, burned, and blistered. He thrashed about, but Dalia held his head still until the water was gone. He was gasping for air when she let his head go. "Want to tell us your plans yet?"

He glared up at her, hatred burning in his eyes. "I can't wait until you get back to hell," he hissed. "I'm going to spend days skinning you alive before I turn you into my personal whore."

Dalia punched him hard enough to break his nose and walked back over to Dean. He turned and looked at Sam. "You're up." Sam cracked his neck and stepped forwards. He had a long knife in his hand and a box of salt. Dean let him spend an hour on Crowley before he called him off. Crowley still wasn't talking. Dean sighed and held his hand out towards Castiel. The angel dropped an angel blade into his hand. Dean walked forward as Elena and Dalia moved the table out of the way.

Crowley glared up at him. "What are you going to do? Kill me? It won't save your daddy."

Dean cut a long line down Crowley's chest, letting the blood flow. "Oh, I'm going to kill you, after you tell me what's going on." He clenched his jaw, blocking out memories of doing this in hell, blocking out what it'd been like holding the first blade, being a demon. He focused on the task at hand. Helping his father. He drew another long like down Crowley's chest.

"Alright, alright," he pleaded. "I'll tell you." Dean took a step back, watching him as he panted and bled. "I brought your father back, that's true. But that's not all I did." A deadly smirk played over Crowley's lips. "I have complete control over your father. Nothing about him is truly John. Everything he's done, everything he's said, has been my doing."

Dean growled and slammed the angel blade into Crowley's leg, getting a sick jolt of pleasure from his scream. "You listen to me you sick son of a bitch, you're going to stop it."

Crowley laughed and threw his head back, looking up at Dean. "I can't. The only way to break the control is to kill your father."

Dean swore as they started back up the stairs. For all they knew, Crowley was telling the truth. He glanced at Castiel. "Can you do anything about this?" he asked as they walked into the kitchen. Cas didn't get a chance to reply. John had been waiting for them. He must have heard them in the basement. He grabbed Elena and pulled her against his chest, holding a knife against her throat. "Dad!"

"Let her go," Sam demanded.

"That's not going to happen." John reached out and touched the enochian sigil on the fridge, blasting Castiel away. He pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at Sam and Dean. "I tried to make you boys see. Tried to do this the easy way." He shook his head. "Now we're going to do it my way." He shot Sam and Dean in the knees, rendering them incapable of doing anything.

"Dean!" Dalia started towards him but John shot her in the shoulder.

"You're coming with me." He motioned her across the room.

"Dad, don't do this," Dean pleaded. John ignored him as he forced the girls out of the bunker. Dean groaned, trying to push himself up, trying to get to Sam. They were going to have to kill their father.

John managed to get the girls to the garage without any issues. Once he had them there he forced Dalia to tie Elena up before he tied Dalia up. He shoved them into the backseat and drove out of the bunker. He had a few cabins that he's used over the years. He'd find one and get rid of the girls in his own time. Once they were gone Sam and Dean would realize how blind they'd been, how much of a hindrance they'd been. As soon as the girls were gone, he'd have his sons back.


	9. This Love This Hate

_Sorry the last chapter was so short. I can't promise this one will be much longer. The story is winding down. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed. Every time I read one I smile and I get excited to post the next chapter._

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Day of the Dead

Chapter Nine: This Love This Hate

Dean was panting with sweat. It'd taken him a fucking hour to crawl across the floor to the fridge without the use of his legs. Sam was braced up against the wall, dried blood pooled around him from his own wounds. He groaned as he pulled himself up enough to force the door to the fridge open. He grabbed two water bottles and tossed one across the room to Sam. He caught it and they both drained their bottles. Dean rested his head against the cool metal of the fridge. They couldn't do anything until Castiel managed to get back, and it was hard to tell how long that was going to take. His mind was reeling with the possibilities of what his father was doing to Dalia and Elena.

They should have seen this coming. They should have been able to prevent this. He rolled his head on his shoulders and looked across the room at Sam. "We've got to figure out a way to break Crowley's control."

Sam looked over at him. Hatred was burning in his eyes. Hatred Dean understood. "You heard what Crowley said, the only way to break it is to kill him."

Dean shook his head. "There has to be another way, Sam." He rubbed sweat from his face. "He's our father."

Sam groaned, pulling himself into a better sitting position. "He's a monster, Dean. He's not going to stop pulling this shit and we don't have months to spend looking for something." He shook his head. "Dalia, Elena, and I have been looking for months. Months, Dean. This is the only way."

"We can't kill him."

"Whatever happened to _what's dead should stay dead_?" Sam demanded. Dean flinched back. He knew Sam had a point, and he hated that. He hated that he could remember when he'd said that. He hated that they seemed to break that one rule more than anyone else in the world, but they weren't willing to break it this time.

The fluttering of wings brought their argument to a stop. Castiel knelt beside Sam and healed his injuries, helping Sam off the floor. "What happened?" he asked, walking over and healing Dean.

"He took the girls." Dean grunted as he got up. "I don't know where they went." He brushed himself up and looked around. Shit. What the hell were they going to do?

"He has all of those cabins that we'd use when we were hunting," Sam said. "We start there."

Dean nodded his head and followed Sam out of the room. They grabbed their jacket off the chairs in the library where they'd left them and made their way to the garage, Cas staying close. Dean jumped into the Impala and tried not to think about what John was doing to the girls. It made him sick to his stomach to think that his father was hurting the woman he loved and his sister-in-law. The whole thing was just about as fucked up as it could get.

"Where's the closest cabin?" he asked.

"About two hours from here," Sam answered. Dean nodded and peeled off, breaking the speed limit by a good thirty miles per hour. Sam was right, he knew he was right. He wished he wasn't. After everything they'd been through, everything they'd done in the last eleven years, you would think they would know of a way or could find a way to break Crowley's control over John. You would think they'd be able to find a way to save him without having to kill him.

"Cas, do you know of a way to break the control?" he asked.

Castiel shook his head in the back seat. "Not without removing the soul, and that never ends up well." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Dean. Crowley's right. The only way to break his control on your father is to kill him."

Dean swore and rubbed a hand over his face. Damn it all to hell.

When they pulled up tot eh cabin he wasn't surprised not to see a vehicle out front. Just because there wasn't a car didn't mean John and the girls weren't inside. Dean and Sam climbed from the car, guns drawn as they slowly walked up the porch steps. Sam kicked in the door and they went in, Dean going low and right, Sam going high and left. The cabin was a small one room place. And it was empty.

"Son of a bitch," Dean swore. He kicked a chair, covered in dust after years of disuse and looked around. There were six other cabins that they knew about. Six other places they could be. It was going to take them too damn long to search them all. They'd be lucky if they got to the girls before John killed them.

At a loss for what to do, Dean pulled out his cellphone and dialed his father's number. He was taking a risk. There was no reason John would talk to him, let alone tell them where he was. But John answered on the third ring. "Dean."

"Dad…where are you?" he asked. He tried to drown out what sounded like muffled screams in the background.

"That doesn't matter."

"Yes it does…" Dean swallowed hard. "Dad, look, you were right." He looked at Sam, hoping to hell John bought what Dean was going to try to sell him. "The girls, they're a distraction. It should be the three of us, just like it used to be. Tell us where you are so we can come to you."

John was silent for a moment. "Remember the rugaru hunt?"

"Yeah." Dean knew exactly where he was.

"If you come here, and you swear you'll give them up…I won't kill them." He hung up the phone.

Dean looked at Sam. "The rugaru hunt, when we were kids still. That's where he's at." Sam nodded and they raced back to the car, climbing inside. Dean kicked up dirt as he turned around and sped off. He knew John had already started in on the girls. He wasn't happy about that fact. He just hoped he wasn't going to be too late. He couldn't lose Dalia again, and he refused to let Sam lose Elena.

xXx

John smirked and looked at the girls sitting in the living room, bound and gagged to old chairs. "Good news girls, you may make it out of this alive." He put the phone in his pocket and picked up the knife again. "But you won't make it out whole."

Dean and Sam might say they're willing to give up the girls, but until John saw it with his own eyes, he wasn't going to believe them. He got a second chance with his sons, and he was going to let a couple of hunter whores get in the way of things. They'd get back to the family business. He'd make damn sure of it.


	10. Carry On My Wayward Son

**Day of the Dead**

 **Chapter Ten: Carry On My Wayward Son**

 **Part I: Carry On My Wayward Son**

Dean rubbed his eyes as he drove. It was a good eight hours to where John was keeping the girls. He was nearly there, but he'd been driving all night. They'd stopped to fill up the tank once, and to refuel on some caffeine. Dean was never a fan of energy drinks, not even as a kid, but he didn't have much of a choice at this point. Castiel went to try one last ditch effort to save John. He wasn't there to zap the fatigue away and there was no way of knowing if he would be back in time. Sam could have slept at any time, rested up, gear up for the fight they both knew they were walking into. The fight they knew would be the hardest they'd ever had in their lives. But with a little over an hour left into the trip, Sam was still wide awake. Too worried about Elena to sleep. Too worried about the outcome of the fight to rest.

He sighed and turned the radio on. The fact that _Highway to Hell_ came on wasn't lost on Dean. He turned it back off and leaned back in the seat, trying to keep his body relax enough that his muscles didn't tense, but alert enough he didn't fall asleep at the wheel.

He picked up his phone from the middle seat when it started ringing. "Cas?" he asked, answering the phone.

"Where are you?" Dean gave him their location and glanced in the backseat, hanging up the phone when Castiel appeared.

"Did you find anything?" he asked. He was hoping against hope. Nothing was every easy for them.

Castiel shook his head. "I'm sorry, Dean."

He sighed and shook his head. "At least you looked." He glanced over at Sam. "We're sure we want to kill Dad?"

"I don't see that we have any other choice right now, Dean." Sam looked at him and sighed. "I don't want to kill him either. If there was another way, sure I'd say let's just knock him out and get him back to the bunker. But we don't have a choice. I'm not going to pick him over Elena."

Dean nodded his head. He really couldn't blame Sam for that. He wouldn't pick John over Dalia either at this point. Dalia had been there through some serious shit. She'd done things for Dean most people wouldn't even consider doing. She'd died for him. He knew John had sold his soul for him, way back before their lives had gotten so twisted with angels and demons. But now John was threatening his family, his life. Because that's exactly what Dalia was; his life.

He glanced at the map Sam had out on his lap. They weren't far. He cracked his neck and looked at the road ahead. When they got to the end of the road he was going to have a very hard choice to make. Was he going to kill his father? Or, was he going to go against his brother, against his angel, and keep John alive until he could find a way to break the hold Crowley had over him?

He sighed and shook his head. He was so damn tired. He'd been doing this for too damn long. He always told himself he could do it, just carry on. It would get better, he'd make it get better. But fuck it, he was _tired_. They'd been through the Devil's Gate, killing Azazel, then he'd sold his soul and gone to hell. They'd released Lucifer from the pit and had to put him back in, causing Sam to go to hell. When he came back they spent damn near a year trying to get his soul back. That year ended with a bang when the leviathan had been released into the world thanks to Castiel. He'd been to purgatory for a year, fought his way out. They'd been through the trials, trying to close the gates of hell for good, Sam had nearly died and been possessed by an angel after the fall of heaven thanks to Captain Douchebag. Then he'd gotten the Mark of Cain so he could kill Abaddon. That year had ended great. He'd died and woken up as a demon only to have Sam spend the next whole year trying to find a way to save his worthless ass.

After all of that, after all of the pure shit they'd been through. After losing Mom, Dad, Bobby, Ellen, Jo, Ash, Charlie, Chuck. After everything, Dean only had four people left. Four people who would have his back no matter what. Who would always be there for him. He only had Dalia, Elena, Sammy, and Castiel. That was it.

Now John was threatening to take half of his family away. Dean couldn't let that happen. He pulled off the highway and turned down the road that would lead them into the backwoods that would eventually lead them to the cabin. Dean wanted one year where someone he loved didn't die, where the fate of the world didn't rest on his shoulders. This wasn't going to be one of those years. Not only was someone he love going to die, but he was going to be the one who put the bullet in them.

He pulled his gun out of the small of his back and rested it on his lap. He needed to psyche himself up for what was about to happen. For what he was about to see. He knew walking into that cabin that he wasn't going to see the girls unharmed. A sick, heavy weight in his gut told him that much. He saw Sam take a deep breath as he started to recognize their surroundings. They both sat a little straighter in their seats.

"Cas, when we get there…I want you to hang back." Dean looked at his best friend in the rearview mirror. "This is something Sam and I have to do ourselves."

Castiel nodded his head. "I understand."

Dean nodded his head and took the familiar dirt road to the left that would lead to the old hunting cabin John had taken over. He took a deep breath, keeping his eyes straight ahead, watching as the cabin came into view. He parked the car and turned off the engine. He didn't get out right away. Neither did Sam. They sat there, staring at the cabin, telling themselves they didn't have a choice. They were going to have to kill their father.

They both climbed out of the car, closing the doors. Dean slipped the clip out of his gun. When he was satisfied he tapped the clip against the barrel twice before sliding it home. He looked over at Sam. "Ready?" he asked.

Sam sighed and shook his head. "No, but we don't have much of a choice anymore."

Dean nodded and started towards the door. When they walked through, it was end game time. Either they were going to die fighting, or they were going to kill their father. Or Dean was going to piss everyone off by taking him back to the bunker and locking him up until they could find a way to get him away from Crowley's control.

 **Part II: There'll Be Peace When You Are Done**

Dean opened the door and walked inside, his gun hidden away inside of his coat. The last thing he wanted to do was to alert John to their plan. John was sitting on the couch, a gun in one hand, a beer in the other, one foot resting on the opposite knee. His eyes drifted over towards the girls. They were tied to two old kitchen chairs, back to back, gagged with rags. Dalia's white and black hair was dyed a crimson red with all of the blood staining her skin and clothes. She had a black eye that was swollen shut, a couple of deep cuts on her arms, the bullet wound on her shoulder, and bruises everywhere Dean could see skin. Elena had cuts on her legs and arms, bruises all along her upper arms and face, and from the way she was wheezing Dean was willing to bet his bottom dollar she had a couple cracked ribs.

All notion of saving his father went out the window. John Winchester was a dead man. He glared at his father as he stood up and walked towards his sons. Dean's hand started to go towards his gun, but he thought better of it. He wanted personal, he wanted to make him hurt. As soon as he was close enough, Dean took a swing, feeling a sick burst of joy at the cracking of bones he heard.

John glared, rubbing his jaw as he looked at Dean. "So, you're picking them over your own family?"

Dean shook his head. "They are my family." He took another swing but John grabbed his arm, throwing him into the wall. While Dean was shaking off the stars from hitting his head, Sam took a swing. He caught John in the gut. John doubled over, the air rushing from his lungs. Sam fisted the back of John's coat in his massive hands and kneed him in the head, sending him flying backwards onto the floor. He advanced on him, but his rage made him blind. John swept his foot out, knocking Sam's legs out from under him. He hit the floor, his massive body aching from the hard fall.

Dean launched himself at his old man. He grabbed him around the middle once he was on his feet again and body slammed him into the wall. John growled and grabbed Dean by the hair, holding his head still while he punched him, effectively breaking his nose. The pain didn't stop Dean. He put his hands around John's throat, trying to choke the life from him.

John kneed him in the stomach and kicked him back. Dean fell over the table, breaking it as his weight fell onto it. John wiped blood from his lip as the boys slowly got to their feet. "I thought I raised you two better," he snapped. "You're fighting like a couple of love sick pussies."

Sam pushed his hair back from his face, glaring daggers at his father. Part of him wanted to pull his gun, to end this now. But the part of him that was in charge wanted blood. It wanted to make John beg for his life. "You didn't raise me," he said. "Dean did." Sam charged, wrapping his arms around John's middle, picking him up off of the floor, and slamming him down on his back.

John gasped for air, but kept Sam's hands from around his throat. He punched Sam hard enough in the head that his knuckles drew blood and Sam rolled off of him. John got up and grabbed Dean's leg that went for a kick. With a grunt he flipped Dean over, knocking his head against the floor. He backed up, going for his gun he'd left lying on the couch.

Dalia stuck her leg out and tripped him. John growled as he got up and grabbed the knife he'd been using on them. "After I teach my sons a lesson," he said, kneeling in front of her. "I'm going kill you, nice and slow." He glanced over as Dean and Sam both stumbled up again. "Hold my knife." He drove it deep into her thigh, causing her to scream behind the gag and a new wave of rage to wash over Dean, igniting the fire inside of him that would keep him going.

Dean rushed forward, punching John. John grabbed Dean's next swing and elbowed him in the stomach. Dean heard one of his ribs cracked as he was knocked back a few steps. Sam came up, right behind him and punched John so hard it put him on his back on the floor, bleeding and gasping for air. Dean didn't waste any more time. He pulled his gun and trained it between John's eyes.

"Stay down," he growled. His jaw was clenched, tight, his eyes hard as he stared at his father. He didn't take his eyes off of him as he spoke to Sam. "Get the girls out of here." He heard Sam move but he kept his eyes on John. He felt that little part of him raise up again, the part that wanted to try to find a way to save John. He heard Dalia whimper painfully when Sam pulled the knife from her leg. That one sound from the woman he loved sealed the deal. He waited until Sam had the girls out of the cabin, until he was alone with his father. "I'm sorry."

John nodded his head. "I'll see you in hell, son."

Dean pulled the trigger, one single tear falling down his face.

He dropped his arm and walked out of the cabin. Castiel had healed Sam and Elena and was just finishing up with Dalia. He walked towards Dean. "Let me heal you."

Dean shook his head. His voice was thick and hoarse as he spoke. "Nah, I'm good man." He put his hand on Castiel's shoulder and smiled a little, the much he could. "Can you do me a favor? Get my Dad's body back to the bunker?"

Castiel looked past him at the cabin before looking back into his eyes. He nodded. "Consider it done."

Dean nodded and went to Dalia. He wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the pain that shot through him from his fresh wounds as she held him close. He kissed her head, rubbing her back. It felt so damn good to have her back in his arms. He just felt bad that he'd put her through so much shit lately. "Let's go home."

She nodded her head, burying her head against his chest for a minute before she let go. Sam let her sit in the front as he curled up in the back seat with Elena all but in his lap. Both of the boys needed the reassurance, needed to hold their girls close. Dalia slid to the middle seat and rested her head on Dean's shoulder as he drove them back home. He put an arm around her, kissing her head. When they got back they were going to have work to do. He and Sam were going to have to burn their father's body—again. And something needed to be done about Crowley. For good this time. He was ready for this to all be over. He wanted peace. He wanted to be done.

 **Part III: Lay your Weary Head to Rest**

Dean sighed as he added a few more sticks to the pyre he and Sam had spent the last five hours building. John's body was lying beside them, wrapped in a white sheet. He looked over at the body as Sam went to grab the gas can, salt, and matches. He hated this life. He really did. When Sam came back they moved without talking to each other. They walked over to John's body and picked him up. They carefully carried him over to pyre and arranged his body on the wood. Sam picked up the salt and started pouring it across the wood and their father's body.

Dean picked up the gas can, waiting for Sam to finish. He spread the gas around and stood back, putting the empty can down beside them. He took the second book of matches from Sam. They each ripped the whole book out and lit the matches, tossing them onto their father's body. The irony wasn't lost on Dean. The first time they'd burned their father's body had been after Dean had killed him. It'd been indirectly, John had sold his soul to save Dean's life. This time, Dean had put the bullet into him himself.

He stood there, watching the fire burn, Sam standing beside him. It had been nine years since the last time they'd done this. Nine years, but it still hurt like hell. Worse this time. Dean rubbed his eyes. He wanted to go lay down. He wanted to curl up with Dalia, put his head in her lap, and just let go of everything that was inside of him.

Instead, he stood there and watched the flames eat at his father's body. The sheets were nearly gone down, the clothes burned away. The stink of burning flesh was in the air. They stood there for hours, until the pyre was nothing but a pile of smoking ruble. Dean turned and looked at his brother.

Sam looked just about as miserable as he felt. "We've still got work to do."

Dean nodded. They headed back inside. Crowley was still in their basement and he has an appointment with an angel blade. The girls were waiting for them when they walked into the library on the way to the dungeon. Dean walked over to Dalia and kissed her head. "We've got one more thing to do. Go to bed. I'll be there soon." She frowned, reaching up and cupping his face. Her thumbs brushed over the dark circles under his eyes. She looked worried. He wrapped his arms around her wrists, leaning his forehead against hers. "I'm okay, baby."

"No, you're not," she whispered. She closed her eyes, just leaning against him for a moment, offering him what strength she had. "But you will be." She bent his head down, kissing his forehead. She smiled a little and went back to the bedrooms, Elena following her.

Dean sighed and shook his head watching them go. "Those two are the best damn things we've ever done in our lives."

"No kidding."

They picked up their angel blades and walked down to the dungeon. They pulled the fake wall back and looked into the room. "Son of a bitch," Dean swore, throwing the angel blade across the room. Crowley was gone. The chains empty, lying scattered on the floor. "How the hell did he get out?" he demanded.

Sam shook his head, walking over. He walked over to the chains and started looking them over. "Son of a bitch." He dropped the chains, shaking his head. "He ruined the engravings."

 **Part IV: Don't You Cry No More**

Dean walked into the bedroom and sat down on the side of the bed. He pulled his foot up to his knee and started unlacing his boots. Dalia sat up from where she'd been laying and walked around the bed until she was standing in front of him. She knelt on the floor in front of him, guiding his foot back down to the ground. She knew what he needed. For once, Dean needed someone to take care of him. She unlaced his boots and pulled them from his feet. She rolled his socks off, balled them up and tossed them into the hamper. She stood and eased his flannel from his shoulders, leaving him in his tee shirt. He didn't say a word, he let her guide him. After she had his jeans off she turned, putting the clothes in the hamper.

When she turned back around he wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his head against her belly. She ran her fingers through his hair, watching him. She could feel her shirt dampening under his eyes. She bent down, kissing his head as she ran her arms over his back, soothing him the best she could.

Dean pulled her onto the bed with her, curling himself into her. She kissed his head, holding him close. He fisted his hands in the back of her shirt. He was always so damn strong, always trying to hold on for everyone else. This was his time. He needed to break, he needed someone else to hold onto him. He needed someone to be strong for him. She started humming, giving him what he needed. The song she sang wasn't lost on him. Out of everything she could have picked, out of every song inside of her head, she's picked the perfect one. The one that he needed. The one that fit the situation.

He smiled a little when she stopped humming and started singing. "Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more."

Dean let her get through the song before he looked up at her. His eyes were bloodshot. He hadn't slept in almost three days. They were red and puffy from the crying, the heartache. "Don't ever leave me," he whispered, his voice hoarse.

She kissed him softly, running her nails lightly over his scalp. "I'm not going anywhere, Dean."

He nodded his head, lying his head on her belly as she ran her fingers through his hair and down his back and shoulders. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Dean knew, in that moment, that he had everything he needed. He had an angel on his side. He had a brother he loved who was coupled with one hell of a woman. And he had Dalia. As long as his family stayed whole, he could carry on.

 **The End**


End file.
